Storm damage

What we look at

• Information about the weather

  We need to make sure there were storm conditions where you live when the damage happened. We’re unlikely to be persuaded if you just tell us that:

  • the damage was caused by a storm some time in the past 
  • you experienced bad weather over time 

  However, we might uphold (agree with) your complaint if we see evidence of a number of storms over a period. We might decide that one of these storms caused the damage. 

  We take into account the Beaufort Scale. This measures wind speed on a scale of 0 to 12. Some insurers say that only winds above a certain point on this scale count as storm-force winds. 

  The Beaufort scale is not the only thing we’ll look at. We’ll carefully consider all the evidence to decide whether there was a storm when the damage happened. We’ll look at:  

  • weather reports 
  • lists of UK storms on the Met Office website  

  Weather records help us decide: 

  • if there was a storm 
  • how intense the storm was 
  • where the storm was in relation to your property 

  Sometimes we’ll look at weather reports from more than one weather station. This is because we want to get a full picture of what happened. 

  You might not know when the damage happened - for example, if you were away or the damage wasn’t obvious immediately. In cases like this we’ll check further back in the records.

  Snow, rain and hail storms 

  Sometimes we get complaints about insurance claims for damage caused by snow, rain or hail. In these circumstances, we consider a storm to be when: 

  • there are high volumes of snow, rain or hail in a short period of time 
  • the snow, rain or hail is extreme 

  Damage to property often happens because of the weight of snow once it’s settled - for example, a collapsed roof. In cases like this we’ll look at whether the damage happened because of the storm or maintenance issues.

• The condition of the property

  We’ll take into account your property’s condition at the time the storm damage happened. To do this we’ll usually look at expert reports and photos. Your insurer will normally ask a surveyor to write a report.  

  It’s sometimes clear that the property wasn’t in good condition before the storm. This doesn’t always mean the damage wasn’t caused by the storm. We’ll carefully look at all the evidence to decide whether the damage happened because of either the:  

  • storm  
  • property’s condition 

  For example, you might claim that your flat roof has been damaged by a storm. We’re unlikely to uphold your complaint if we decide that: 

  • the roof was already in a bad condition at the time of the storm and you knew about this 
  • the storm just highlighted an existing problem 

  Many insurance policies have exclusions for damage caused in certain ways. Exclusions include:  

  • gradual damage 
  • wear and tear 

  If your insurer rejects your claim for these reasons, we’ll work out what the cause of the damage was. The insurer has to prove that the exclusion applies - for example, with an inspection report.

• If you’re not happy with a repair

  Your insurer may have accepted your claim and arranged to repair the damage. If you’re not happy with the repair, you might complain to us. We’ll treat cases like this in the same way as other complaints about repairs under home or building insurance.

• Claiming under other cover

  We see cases where it’s reasonable for the insurer to decline a claim under storm damage. In these cases you can sometimes claim under other cover - for example, accidental damage cover. We’d expect your insurer to check all parts of your policy - not just the storm damage part - to see if you’re covered.