Damage caused by storm, heavy rainfall or hail? Seven tips to prevent it

Having good insurance is half the battle

What is commonly referred to as fire insurance for a building also covers damage caused by storms, heavy rainfall and other natural disasters. In addition to your home or commercial building, you can also insure their contents, outbuildings and even your garden (e.g. trees and garden furniture) in your Home Insurance Policy or Multi-Risk Insurance Policy.

But no matter how well insured you are, it is of course better if all your worldly goods stay safe. Follow these tips and the autumn weather will not get the better of you.

Seven tips for preventing storm and water damage

Storm on the way? You never know in advance how badly your region will be affected. But forewarned is forearmed. So prepare yourself as soon as the RMI warns of storms or thunderstorms. In addition, you can take lots of structural measures that will make your home or office less vulnerable to extreme weather.

1. Be vigilant when it comes to trees, as they can fall, and branches often blow off. Do not park your car under a tree and prune the old branches of the trees in your garden in a timely manner.
2. Make sure nothing can blow around. Close windows and doors so that everything inside stays inside. Outside, safely store away things like garden furniture, flags and pavement signs. Check regularly whether the roof tiles, fences, shutters and awnings are still firmly in place.
3. Give rainwater a chance to seep into the soil, or collect it. Opt for less paved surfaces and more plants. A pond or rain barrel also help prevent heavy rainfall from finding its way inside.
4. Do not start your car if the water in the street is up to the bumper. If you do, your engine could be seriously damaged.
   
5. Clean the gutters in time, so that rainwater does not have to find another route. A gutter pipe leaf wire balloon prevents leaves from clogging the drain. Also keep sewer grates clear.
6. Is your home or commercial building susceptible to rising groundwater? In the cellar, make sure you place everything on a slightly raised platform. Are you located in a flood prone area? If so, have equipment ready to elevate everything on the ground floor as well. Keeping some sandbags handy is also a necessity. Be sure to read the advice of the Flemish Environment Agency.
7. Is the RMI forecasting hail? Park your car inside or protect it with thick blankets. You can also protect skylights with blankets or old rugs.
   

Suffered damage caused by extreme weather: what now?

We don’t wish it on anyone, but sometimes the elements can be so severe that no amount of preparation helps. In the event of a claim, at KBC Insurance we do our utmost to spare you the administrative hassle that comes with it.

• Do you need urgent help? Only call 112 if someone’s life is in danger. In non-life threatening situations you can get help quickly from the local fire brigade, via the website stormschade.vlaanderen or by calling the number 1722.
• Suffered damage to your home or car? Report it immediately. Then you can have your gutter repaired or have the dents removed from your car without worrying, while we take care of reimbursing the costs.

How? Feel free to visit your trusted KBC Insurance agent, we are here to help.

Tell us exactly what happened, what was damaged, who is involved and if there are any wounded (hopefully not!). Tip: bring some photos of the damage with you, so we can get a better idea of what to do.

We will open a claim file for you and closely monitor the entire process.

Are you in any doubt as to whether you already have the right insurance policies? We will be happy to run through the risks with you and see if you need to adjust them.