Does your home insurance cover flood and storm damage?

Most home insurance will cover flood and storm damage. As a minimum you should have buildings insurance which covers you against the costs of repairing, or in extreme cases rebuilding your home, but you would be wise to also take out contents insurance to protect your belongings.

Even if you do have home and contents insurance, flood or storm damage can be very messy and troublesome, and while you may be able to purchase new goods, you cannot replace items with sentimental value like family heirlooms. To help prevent damage from storms and floods, make sure your house is properly maintained. To avoid leaks check your roof and replace any missing or damaged tiles. Ensure that gutters are cleared of dead leaves and debris. Cut back overhanging or dead branches which could fall down in high winds and cause damage.

Your computer should be backed up regularly in any case, but you may not be aware that lightning strikes can cause electricity surges that may damage your computer and other electrical appliances. Water from leaks or floods can also damage your hard drive and electrical equipment. While you can replace a computer, important files like family photographs would be lost. In a storm, unplug electrical equipment, not forgetting your telephones.

Pay attention to weather warning and if you hear a storm or flood is likely, move any valuable belongings upstairs if possible, and protect your important documents including your insurance documents by putting them into a watertight container. Some items may be too big or too heavy to move, like your fridge, but do if possible raise these up off the floor, perhaps with bricks.

Prepare for the possible after effects of a flood or storm by getting out your first aid kit. Other useful items include a battery operated radio, bottles of water and non-perishable food. Make sure you keep your pets in the house while the warning is in place.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer serious flood or storm damage, your home insurance policy could cover the cost of alternative accommodation, although cheaper home insurance policies are less likely include this. Consider your needs carefully when you shop around for your home insurance policy, because very low priced insurance may not give you all the financial protection you would need if your home and belongings were badly damaged.

Call your insurance company as soon as possible if your house or belongings are damaged by storm or flood, and wait to throw away damaged goods because if the insurance company thinks they can repair them they might not pay you to replace them. If it is too inconvenient or dangerous to keep damaged items, then take photographs as proof of thier condition before you dispose of them.

Things to look for in a good home insurance policy include the cleaning, repair or replacement of damaged items, including the physical structure of your home. It is worth thinking about where you would like if your house was made uninhabitable and think about cover for the cost of alternative accommodation. Make sure you do not underestimate the value of your belongings or property, and remember to keep an inventory with receipts so that you can prove your losses if the worst should happen.