Leading rural insurer, NFU Mutual, is urging people to become more storm resilient after revealing that last year’s trio of storms caused over £92m in damage to customers.
Storms Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin hit the UK in quick succession in February 2022, bringing winds of over 120mph and resulting in over 13,000 claims.
The South West and South East of England and parts of Wales were the hardest hit, with the majority of the 13,000 claims coming from these regions.
The average cost of the reported damage was over £7,000, with some claims running into the tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In light of the devastation caused by these extreme weather events, NFU Mutual is offering advice on how to become storm resilient and protect properties from future storms.
Jon Bird, property claims manager at NFU Mutual, said: “Over 13,000 NFU Mutual customers suffered damage as a result of the storms, ranging from missing roof tiles to entire outbuildings being destroyed.”
Bird continued: “We were able to assist many customers immediately with cash payments for smaller claims, and mobilised our network before the storm to repair damage as quickly as possible.”
He emphasised the importance of storm resilience, urging people to “clear, fix, fasten and repair regularly to protect themselves from the worst of extreme weather before it is forecast.”
Bird also encouraged homeowners to consider the resilience of home improvements, such as driveways, artificial grass, outbuildings, and ornaments, and to ensure excess water can drain and items can be secured in high winds.
