Heatwave Ends – Be Prepared for Flash Floods, Says Insurer

With heavy rain expected to hit the country this week, specialist insurer, Ecclesiastical is people to prepare for flash flooding.

The prolonged heatwave that the UK has experienced is set to come to an end today with forecasters predicting heavy downpours for the majority of the country and the insurer is warning this could lead to localised flooding caused by surface-water run-off.

David Parkinson, risk manager at Ecclesiastical explained: “Flash flooding can happen miles away from established watercourses and can occur where there is no history of previous flooding problems. This makes it hard to predict and means it can happen quickly but generally tends to be short lived.

In June 2017 the South East including parts of London suffered a series of flash floods as severe thunderstorms made their way inland and in August, northern England was also hit with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service receiving 23 flood related calls in the space of just two hours.

IF YOUR HOME IS FLOODED – HOW CAN YOU CLAIM?

Ecclesiastical is urging homeowners to take precautions if they are in an area that is under a flood warning.

“People living in an area that might be susceptible to any form of flooding should think about what they might need to do in the event of a flood.

Make sure you have a list of key contacts such as the emergency services, an electrician, a Gas Safe Contractor and your insurer in a safe and waterproof place. If a flood warning is issued move valuable items to higher ground and keep up to date with the latest alerts from the Met Office or the Environment Agency.“

More guidance and advice is available on the Ecclesiastical website http://www.ecclesiastical.com

Insurance-Edge Comment;

Here are a few more handy tips;

email your policy schedule – the paperwork that has all the key facts about what is, or is not, covered – to yourself and add a back-up email. Sometimes your smartphone will only display recent emails, it will auto archive older ones, so it’s a good idea to email those documents if it starts hammering with rain.

Take lots of phone photos! All evidence is crucial when it comes to making a claim. So you need to prove that you took reasonable steps to protect jewellery, watches, cameras, electronics etc.

Put a charger cable and plug inside an emergency rucksack or bag, if you have to leave the house – you will need to charge your phone if you’re trying to get through to a call centre along with other people affected by flooding.

Finally – bottled water. Always useful, so carry as much as you can manage.