Storm Desmond flooding: As claims creep in, insurers assure consumers they are already ready for winter’s bad weather
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) reassured consumers on Saturday that the industry had been braced for bad weather.
“Insurers expect bad weather during the winter and will be geared up to help customers who have suffered flood and storm damage recover as quickly as possible,” remarked Malcolm Tarling, a spokesperson for the ABI, in a statement on its website advising people of what to do ahead of the bad weather.
Read more: Should Britain expect blackouts this winter?
Insurer Aviva has said, although it will take a few days to fully assess the impact of the storm, the volume of claims received over the weekend were within manageable levels.
In a statement to its affected customers, Dave Lovely, claims director for Aviva, said: “Property damage as a result of flooding or storms is one of the most traumatic events that a homeowner and business can suffer. This trauma places huge responsibilities on us, the insurance industry. We can’t stop the weather, but we can work tirelessly to support our customers affected by the events brought by Storm Desmond.”
Read more: Why our storms are called Barney, Frank & Nigel
This weekend, storms have killed one person and left hundreds of homes without power. Military personnel have been called in to help in the worst affected areas.
Some parts of Cumbria saw more than a month’s worth of rainfall in just one day.
Although a much larger proportion of the country was affected, the storms between December 2013 and February 2014 led to insurers paying out an estimated £1.1bn according to calculations from the ABI, including £446m relating to the flooding of homes, businesses and vehicles.
Meanwhile, flooding in Cumbria in 2009 resulted to £174m being paid out to repair damaged homes and businesses and arrange temporary accommodation while repairs were being carried out.