Storm FAQs

You should contact your airline or travel agent for advice. Some travel insurance policies may offer some cover for missed flights due to your journey to the airport being disrupted in certain circumstances, so check your travel policy. If your flight is delayed by bad weather, then policies may pay a fixed cash sum after a specified number of hours delay, and also if delay caused by bad weather forces you to abandon your trip.

Yes, comprehensive motor insurance covers damage to your vehicle. If you have third party fire and theft, this does not cover damage as a result of storms or floods. If your vehicle is damaged by someone else or their property (such as a falling roof tile) to be able to claim against them you would need to show that they were legally liable (negligent).

Some home contents policies may cover loss of food in freezers (up to the policy limit) due to failure in the power supply. Check if your home contents policy covers this.

Your buildings policy will usually cover your legal liability in instances like this. There may be a limit to it depending on the policy.  For anyone to be able to claim against you it would have to be shown that your negligence led to the damage (for example, if it can be shown that you were aware that your roof was in a dangerous condition, and you did nothing about it).

Property insurance premiums are not usually impacted by one event, but rather on the cost of a range of many different factors. One event will not usually push up property insurance premiums across the board. If you have made a claim or claims during the year this may impact on your premium at renewal, depending on the cost of the claim.

If you have made a claim you could lose any no claim discounts that built up, which could make a difference to the following year’s premiums. However, home insurance is very competitive so we always advise people to shop around for the best cover for them.

Buildings and contents policies normally cover the cost of temporary alternative accommodation, (up to the policy limit) should you need to move out while your home is being repaired.

Insurers are used to dealing with bad weather events. Their main priority will be making sure that claims from their customers are dealt with as quickly as possible, arranging temporary accommodation, making emergency payments where necessary, and assessing the damage when safe to do so. People who suffer damage should contact their insurer as soon as possible for advice. Most insurers have 24 hour emergency helplines to offer help and advice, so check your policy and make sure you know the telephone number to call.

Contact your insurer as soon as possible if you need to make a claim for damage. Have your insurance documents and policy number/s to hand. Check your policy as most insurers have 24 hour emergency helplines to give advice and ensure that your claim gets moving as quickly as possible. Keep your mobile phone handy in case power lines are disrupted.