In recent weeks parts of the South and West Country have been blighted by a natural disaster. It’s a topic people hardly need reminding of, as daily bulletins report on the increasingly widespread damage and disruption that floods have wrought on unfortunate homeowners.
If such a situation has a bright side it would lay in the reportedly fast and decisive action taken by insurers in dealing with the massive influx of flood claims – The ABI’s Otto Thorensen for example, has declared the industry to have paid out ‘millions’ in emergency payments already.
It’s reassuring that insurers are taking such a proactive approach in response to these events. That said, no homeowner wants to be in a position where their insurer has to do this in the first place.
In this regard, the only true benefit of these floods lay in how they serve to teach us the importance of protecting our property from the elements and how even the slightest precautions can go a long way towards preserving our home.
The following tips can go along way minimising any damage:
- Find out where you can obtain sandbags before being put on a flood warning – better yet, purchase your own
- Culverts must be free flowing and clear of any blockages. If there is a culvert near you, check who’s responsibility it is and endeavour to make sure it is cleared at least twice a year
- Under intense weather conditions, drainage systems can be overwhelmed. Non return valves fitted in your drainage close to where it joins to the mains will prevent any back up
- Plugging up sinks and baths and weighing them down with sandbags can go a long way preventing an ingress of water. The same goes for disconnecting any appliances that use water e.g. dish washer
By Simon Wright