Storm damage – will your insurance pay … and for what?

Check the small print on your insurance policy before amking a claim. Photograph: Rod Kirkpatrick/F Stop Press

Thousands of homes have been damaged or flooded in the recent storms. Even more cars have been dragged out of flood water, while the travel plans for many have been hugely disrupted or had to be abandoned completely. So can you look to the insurance companies for help?

Homes

Storm damage should be covered by your home insurer. Most operate 24-hour emergency helplines, and you should call them before you do anything. Note, householders are obliged to try to minimise their losses, which means getting in an emergency glazer, or other work done such as shoring up a roof, to keep the weather out. Insurers will advise on this.

It is always a good idea to take plenty of photos of any damage done which can be used to back up claims in the event of a dispute. Be aware that if you knew your roof tiles were loose, and needed attention before the storm hit, the insurer could decide you were legally liable for their repair, and refuse to pay out. The same is true if you were aware that a tree in your garden was dangerous and could fall at any time.

If tiles have come off your roof and damaged a nearby property or car, you are liable. In most cases, the legal liability part of your buildings insurance policy should meet claims for this.

If your shed or greenhouse was torn down, you will almost certainly be out of luck if you try to claim on the insurance. Photograph: Alamy

But when it comes to your fences or your shed it's bad news â€" few household insurance policies will pay out when a storm has thrown your garden into chaos, says the Association of British Insurers. It's always worth checking your policy, but most small print excludes sheds because they are so flimsily constructed.

If a tree on your land has fallen it's up to you to pay to have it removed if necessary.

If a tree from a neighbour's garden damages your home, the obvious thing is to claim on your neighbour's policy. But Malcolm Tarling at the ABI warns that it can be a long and protracted process, and that it will be quicker if you claim from your own insurer.

He also says victims should be wary of using workers who tout for business door-to-door in storm-damaged areas. In previous years cowboy workers have been found taking cash for shoddy work from traumatised homeowners.

Although it is too early to say for certain, it looks as though the number of homes flooded has not been as many as in previous years â€" notably 2007 â€" although that won't be much consolation to those affected. If your home needs expensive repairs and is uninhabitable, start looking for an alternative rental as soon as you can. In flooded areas, the best rentals are snapped up quickly.

In the past, many flood victims have found themselves in caravan parks as a last resort. Insurers limit the amount they will pay for an alternative home. Don't automatically assume personal items such as photos are beyond repair and throw them out, specialist companies can now restore such items.

Cars

Don't be an idiot and take your car through anything more than a few inches of water. If you must, drive extremely slowly (under 5mph), in first gear, and using high revs. Car insurers are braced for a surge in claims after the storms left many roads underwater. The AA said that on Christmas Eve alone it rescued 603 cars deep in floodwater, often after motorists failed to heed warnings. Repairs to seriously flood damaged cars are often expensive, and 70% are typically written off.

Cars hit by falling trees and roof tiles are covered on the same terms as damage to homes. Photograph: Georges Dekeerle/Getty Images

If water has been sucked into the engine, it will probably need a new one, a cost that will write off many cars. Other damage can also take months to show, as corrosion causes mechanical parts to fail. If you have comprehensive car insurance, your insurer will pay out. If you only have third party, you are on your own.

Cars hit by falling trees and roof tiles are covered on the same terms as damage to homes â€" and a comprehensive policy should payout. If your car was damaged by tiles from a neighbour's roof, you can recover the loss from their insurer, although, again it will take some time. It will be quicker to claim on your policy, but more expensive if you lose a no claims discounts.

Travel

Train and air travellers whose trains were cancelled as a result of the weather and they didn't board are entitled to a full refund. If you were on a substantially delayed train you can fill in a compensation formn and you will get all, or some of, the ticket price back, depending on the length of the delay.

Many policies offer 'missed departure' cover â€" but check your small print. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

If you were booked on a flight that ran to schedule but you couldn't make it to the airport, it's down to your travel insurer. Many policies offer "missed departure" cover, but lots don't. If public transport wasn't running and that was the reason, you should be paid. Insurers look at claims on a case-by-case basis.

Those caught up in the Gatwick Christmas Eve flooding fiasco have been offered £100 compensation by the airport separate to the refund from the airline if they chose not to travel.