20 July, 2012

South West insurance firm Cornish Mutual has seen unseasonably high levels of flood and other weather-related claims following the downpours which have washed out the start of the summer.

Claims in early July from flooding could top £250,000, with Members' homes affected in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.  In June this year the company experienced double the number of claims than in 2011 for storm damage by wind, rain and lightning.

Flooding claims have been received from areas as widespread as Yeovil and Chard in Somerset, Dorchester in Dorset, North, South and Mid Devon and the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. The level of damage in individual homes has ranged from £2,000 to an estimated £75,000.

Alan Goddard, Cornish Mutual's Managing Director, said: "Having your home flooded is a very distressing thing to happen and as always our focus has been to support our Members and to begin the process of cleaning up and reinstatement as soon as possible. Sadly, due to the nature of the damage and the time it takes to dry out flooded properties, some of our Members face several months in temporary accommodation and we are doing all we can to help them."

"What is clear is that while we've all suffered miserable weather over the last month, the particularly severe incidents leading to flooding and storm damage have been very localised and often difficult to forecast. For that reason we always advise everyone to consider very carefully the likely risks of flooding and prepare as much as possible for what they might do in the event that their property comes under threat from water."

Cornish Mutual has issued some basic guidelines to householders:

Is my property at risk of flooding?

According to the latest statistics from the Environment Agency, over 5.5 million properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water - which accounts for one in six properties.

It's essential you know if you live in a high-risk property, so you can make the appropriate preparations. The Environment Agency has a flood map which will tell you if you're at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.

See http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/37837.aspx 

Will my insurance policy cover any damage caused by flooding?

When you take out your building and contents insurance, make sure you find out what is covered and what isn't. Make sure you know where all your insurance documents are kept and make a note of the numbers you need to call if your property floods.

Keep a thorough record of any damage caused and keep any evidence - take photographs and videos, mark the height of the flood water on the walls in each room. Don't throw away anything that has been damaged, apart from food - and make a list of that if your policy covers perishable items.

To help your claim run smoothly, keep a record of all communication between you and your insurance company - dates and times of phone calls and the name of who you spoke to, copies of letters, emails and faxes and receipts for anything you've had to pay out for.

If there's anything you're unsure of, speak to your insurance company and they should be able to advise you on what your policy covers.

How can I minimise the damage and prepare myself?

There are some simple steps you can take to minimise the damage caused by flooding, such as keeping valuable items such as televisions on high shelves or mounted to the wall whenever possible and safe to do so.

You can find detailed advice on steps to reduce flood damage and specialist products you can buy to prevent water from entering your home on the Environment Agency's website
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/default.aspx

If you're worried about your property being at risk of flooding, you can sign up to Floodline's warning system, which will alert you by phone, mobile, email, SMS or fax if a warning is issued for where you live. To sign up for the service, visit their website at https://fwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/app/olr/home or call 0845 988 1188.

Truro-based Cornish Mutual has around 24,000 Members across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and is the only general insurer based in the South West offering insurance to farms, businesses and individuals.

Earlier this year Cornish Mutual became the first mutual insurance company in the UK and the first South West business to achieve the highest level of recognition from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). It means Cornish Mutual joins just 15 other insurers which hold 'Chartered Insurer' status, including industry giants such as AXA Commercial, Zurich Insurance Plc and Allianz Insurance Plc.

 

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