Dealing with natural disasters

Freak storms, high winds, floods and other natural disasters such as subsidence are becoming ever more common in the UK, and could affect your home. In case of such events, here are some things you can do, including making sure you have adequate home insurance with Direct Line.

The past few years have seen a variety of ‘natural disasters’ happening in the UK. These include freak storms and floods and even typhoons and earthquakes – events that you would expect to happen in other countries more prone to extremes of weather. Unfortunately, these freak events seem to be becoming increasingly common, perhaps as a result of shifting weather patterns across the globe, and the damage they cause can be devastating.

One of the major blows from such an event can be the damage caused to your home and its contents, and this can impact both emotionally and financially. With Direct Line’s home insurance you could at least get some peace of mind knowing that financial cover could be provided should a disaster of this nature occur. And, having financial cover can help ease some of the emotional stress.

We offer both buildings insurance and home contents insurance. Direct Line buildings insurance can cover you for damage caused to the structure of your home up to £1 million as standard (this cover is unlimited on a Direct Line Home Insurance Plus policy). It can also cover damage to outbuildings, fences and gates, (Direct Line home insurance does not cover flood or storm damage to fences, gates and hedges). Direct Line home contents insurance automatically provides up to £50,000 worth of contents cover and covers your household contents on a new-for-old basis. It includes items such as furniture and carpets, plus personal possessions, money up to £500 and up to £1,000 worth of contents in your garden (up to £2,500 on Direct Line Home Insurance Plus). New-for-old replacement does not include clothing – any compensation for damaged clothes would have a deduction made for wear and tear. You can consult our handy online home contents calculator to ensure that you have the correct amount of cover.

To help you deal with some of the situations that our policies cover, including floods, storms, lightning, fire, explosion and earthquake, we’ve also prepared the following advice:

• Find out if your home is in a flood-risk area and be aware of flood warnings on your local TV and radio station. The Environment Agency has a 24-hour Floodline information service on 0845 988 1188 and regular updates on its website www.environment-agency.gov.uk. If you do live in a flood-risk area you also need to tell us when you apply for a quote.

• It’s a good idea to make up a flood emergency kit and keep it in a safe place in a waterproof bag. Include key personal documents, a torch and portable radio with spare batteries, warm clothing, blankets, rubber boots and gloves, cleaning equipment, disinfectant and detergent, heavy-duty refuse bags, a first-aid kit and essential medication.

• Park your car in a safe place, preferably on higher ground, and be prepared to move valuable items, such as furniture and ornaments, to a safe, dry place at short notice.
• Be prepared to switch off electricity and gas in the event of floodwater entering your home. You also need to get your electricity supply professionally checked after a flood.
• Ensure your home is properly maintained. Clear gutters at least once a year, make sure water tanks and pipes are lagged and repair any damaged tiles or brickwork to prevent further damage in the event of a storm.

• Our buildings insurance doesn’t cover for loss of or damage to hedges, gates or fences by falling trees or branches or by flood, so, where possible, cut back trees to limit potential damage in case these occasions should arise.
• Don’t delay in contacting us as we’ll get moving on your claim straight away and can start helping you to arrange repairs. If your home is rendered uninhabitable then we could also provide alternative accommodation to take away some of the strain.

• Don’t throw away damaged contents. Store them in a dry place as they could help support your claim. We’ll be able to tell you what items to keep.

You can find more advice on flood management on this site and more about our home insurance terms and conditions from our home insurance policy documents online. And, to see how much you could be saving on your home buildings and contents insurance, apply for a quote today. In case of a home emergency you could also benefit from membership with our Home Response 24 Network. Our Direct Line Home Insurance Plus policy includes Home Emergency cover as standard.