It shouldn’t be quite as severe as its predecessor Storm Ciara, but Storm Dennis could still potentially do a lot of damage. Expected to hit the UK on Saturday and continue into Sunday, the latest storm will bring plenty of rainfall, as well as strong winds (up to 60mph at times). As a result, an Amber warning has been issued for many parts of the country. The North West of England and South West will be particularly badly hit, say forecasters.
At Action Insurance Repair, we know how stressful preparations can be, so we wanted to highlight what you should do to ensure you’re ready for this upcoming storm.
Coping with Ciara and Dennis
If your home has already suffered at the hands of Storm Ciara then you’re probably dreading the onslaught of Storm Dennis. No doubt you feel drained already at all the work you’ve been doing this week to minimise the damage to your property. Well, we hate to say it, but it’s time to up the ante again and prepare for Storm Dennis.
Don’t think that because your home has been damaged by Storm Ciara and you have already reported an insurance claim that you can just let Dennis do his worst. Instead, you need to get your property ready by doing the following:
- Install flood gates and barriers
- Distribute sandbags (put one in the downstairs toilet to prevent backflow)
- Take furniture, ornaments, cushions etc upstairs if possible or raise them off the floor
- Unplug all electrical items
- Remove any uncontaminated food from the bottom of the freezer
Once your property is prepared, you should start thinking about what to do after the storm passes.
Evidence your preparations.
At the same time, take photos of what you’re doing so that you can prove to the insurance company you did everything you could to protect your property second time around. This is especially important if you haven’t been living in your property for the past week because of the last flood. In fact, the best thing to do is get a hold of your insurance policy and read what the small print says about a property which is unoccupied.
Make your property safe.
Always make sure too that the gas and electricity have been turned off- you don’t want to risk getting electrocuted while wading through flood water!
Clean it all up. Again!
Unfortunately, you may need to go through the cleaning and sanitizing process all over again. You can find further information on how to tidy after a flood at the government’s website here.
Contact a loss assessor.
Once the initial flood panic is over, one of the first things to do is find yourself a good loss assessor. He or she will be able to look after your insurance claim for you, including helping you fill in the paperwork. They’ll also be able to put you onto a good and reputable building repair company like Action Insurance Repair.
To ensure you contact the right people, we want to clarify what the difference is between a loss assessor and a loss adjuster. It can be easy to get both terms mixed up. To put it simply, a loss assessor is ‘on your side’, whilst a loss adjuster works for the insurance company. The first negotiates on your behalf in terms of the value of goods, cost of damage etc. The second often works to minimise the settlement or refuse your claim altogether.
In other words, if you’ve been a victim of flooding and storm damage, one of the first and best things to do is contact a good loss assessor.
At Action Insurance Repair, we specialise in helping people whose properties have suffered any type of damage caused by a storm, be it fallen trees, roof damage or flooding. From helping with your insurance claim to organising emergency works, handling the clean-up and undertaking the remedial work, our team of insurance specialist is on hand ready to help!