Advice for homeowners facing storms and flooding

As severe windstorms over 80mph batter many parts of Britain, and with some areas now under threat of imminent flooding, Halifax Home Insurance offers some timely advice to homeowners.

Storms and high tides across many parts of the UK are already causing havoc for many homeowners, particularly those living in southern and coastal areas. And with more severe weather forecast, the Environment Agency has raised concerns that homes in the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and Somerset coast are now under threat, as spring tides and strong winds could cause floods.

Senior Claims Manager at Halifax Home Insurance, Martyn Foulds, said: "We were well prepared for this storm and we have got everything in place to respond to customer calls and claims as quickly as possible. Customers in the south east of the country in particular are contacting us as a result of the severe weather conditions. We anticipate more calls coming in as the storm worsens, and we are fully prepared for this. Our team of Personal Claims Consultants are preparing to visit the worst affected customers where necessary."

Homeowners who may be at risk of windstorm damage or flooding may find the following advice helpful:

Before a flood hits:

Place sandbags outside doors, airbricks and windows to reduce the amount of flood water entering your property.
Turn off the mains supplies of water, gas and electricity.
Unplug electrical items and store upstairs or as high as possible.
Disconnect pipes to cookers, washing machines and dishwashers to avoid damage to the pipes if appliances move during floods.
Move as much furniture as possible upstairs.
Large items that cannot be moved upstairs should be weighed down with sandbags or heavy objects to ensure they don't float around and cause further damage to property during a severe flood.
If furniture cannot be moved upstairs, empty contents of cupboards and drawers and store as high as possible.
Move rugs and curtains upstairs, or hang them up over curtain rods out of the way of water.
Keep your home insurer's policy details and telephone number to hand in case you need to make a claim following a flood.
Remember to move sentimental items such as photograph albums to a safe place as these cannot be replaced.

If your home is under threat from windstorm damage

Secure any objects which could become hazardous such as garden furniture, barbecues and bicycles, and keep gates and outbuilding doors fastened securely.
Cut back low hanging branches that could cause damage in high winds or storms.
Clear the gutters and drain pipes of any leaves or debris that have built up in them to reduce the risk of blocks and overflows.
Check external light fittings are secure.
Keep a home emergency kit prepared in case of an emergency such as a severe storm or flood. This could include torches, spare bulbs and batteries, a battery powered or wind-up radio, your home insurance documents, other emergency contact details, tinned food, warm clothing, blankets and a shovel.
Listen to the radio for regular updates on the weather or other emergency situations.

If your home has already been flooded:

Ensure mains supplies of water, electricity and gas have been checked by a qualified engineer before reconnecting.
Dry out appliances that have been affected by flood water and ensure a qualified electrician or CORGI registered gas engineer inspects them before use.
Open doors and windows to ventilate and dry out the property. Ensure your home is completely dried out before attempting any redecorating work.
Contact your insurer and report any damage caused to buildings and/or contents as soon as possible.
Take photographs of damaged items as it may help your insurer to settle a claim.
Keep any ruined property as insurers may want to inspect it.

Halifax Home Insurance offers unlimited buildings cover, and also provides Home Emergency Cover which – for around £4 extra a month – guarantees the provision of an approved tradesperson to make your property safe within hours. Halifax Home Emergency Cover provides protection for a wide range of emergency repairs. The excess-free cover has a limit of £250 per insured incident and does not affect the household 'No Claims Discount'.

Homeowners wanting to find out if they are at risk of flooding can call the Environment Agency Floodline on 0845 988 1188.