Flooding in parts of Cork, Galway and Clare could result in large household insurance claims – hopefully most , if not all, people affected had home insurance.
Insurance firms have been dealing with as many as 1,000 claims a day since the flooding began and it is expected that claims could exceed €100m.
Advice for people whose homes have been affected by flooding:
If your home has already been hit by flooding you should contact your home insurer as soon as possible. Most of them will have 24-hour emergency helplines, and will have trained staff to deal with urgent enquiries.
Try to photograph the damage to your building and contents.
Don’t throw away any damaged items you wish to claim for – they might need to be assessed.
If you need to move to alternative accommodation then check with your insurer whether the cost for this is covered under your policy.
Get and keep receipts for any flood related costs – such as any emergency repairs.
When the flood water has receded, floors and furniture should be disinfected. You should also dispose the food from your fridge and freezer . Keep a list of the disposed items – and take photographs if possible – as you may be able to claim on them.
Get an expert to check the electricity and gas services before you turn them back on. The damage caused by the flood may not be obvious and switching on a service could be very dangerous.
It may be a good idea to have the damage professionally assessed by a surveyor or engineer. You might be able to claim back the cost of any fees off the insurance company – but check beforehand.