What to do if your home is flooded

According to FloodRe, one in six homes in the UK are at risk of flooding and last year was one of the UK's wettest winters on record. The risk of flood in the UK is worse than most people realise.

Before a flood strikes, here is everything you need to know about protecting your home and how insurance can help you recover:

Before a flood

1. Keep an ear out for flood warnings: Check the radio, TV, and online news regularly. You can also find flood warnings on gov.uk. You can also sign up for flood alerts on gov.uk by registering your home and business.

2. Take preventative measures: Once a flood warning is given, sandbags and flood boards will be in high demand, so stock up ahead of time if you can. Sandbags can be used to seal doorways and placed in sinks and toilets to prevent sewage backflow. Block any air bricks by using plastic sheeting if you can.

3. Prep an emergency kit: Essentials include the following items: insurance documents, a battery-powered torch and radio, waterproof clothing, blankets, bottled water, non-perishable food and medication, a first-aid kit, phone chargers, and food for babies and pets.

4. Take pre-flood photos of your home: Photograph each room in your home so you can collate before and after photos to show your insurer and support any potential claims. Don’t forget that you can also claim for items like the food in your fridge, so photos should be collected of these items too.

5. Gather receipts for valuables: Store these receipts and any valuation documents with other valuable documents like passports and birth certificates. These are in case your valuable items are damaged and you need to claim on your home insurance for them.

6. Turn electricity, gas and water off: Ensure mains electricity is shut off before floodwater enters your home as it is an electrocution risk. It’s also wise to turn the gas and water mains off.

7. Shut all windows and doors: This will reduce the amount of floodwater that enters your home.

8. Prepare vulnerable people: Consider evacuating young children, pets, older people or anyone with accessibility issues.

9. Move your car to high ground: If you can't move your car to higher ground or if there isn't time, another way to protect it would be to keep it in a garage and use sandbags around any areas where water might get inside.

10. Move important items to somewhere safe: This can include electronics or possessions of personal value. They need to be stored somewhere secure where they can't be stolen but also somewhere away from floodwaters.

During a flood:

1. Remove any belongings upstairs or out of reach of water: This includes important documents, electronics, valuables, and expensive furniture.

2. Plug your sinks and baths: Also weigh the plugs down with heavy objects so they don’t pop out and let floodwater in.

3. Avoid swimming, walking and driving through floodwater: Floodwater is more powerful than you may think – just six inches of rapidly-moving water can knock an adult over, and two feet can float a vehicle. This water is also likely to be contaminated and could make you ill. So, if you come into contact with it, wash your hands and clothes thoroughly as soon as possible.

4. Keep updated: Stay in tune with local news so you’re aware of impending dangers or risks that could be heading your way.

After a flood:

1. Beware of standing water: Standing floodwater can carry risks such as contamination, sharp objects or an electric current, so avoid it when you can. If this isn’t possible, wear waterproof clothing and wellington boots.

2. Keep electronics switched off: Don’t turn on any electrical items until they’ve completely dried out, as this could cause further damage.

3. Sterilise tap water or use bottled water: If your mains has been affected, don’t drink water straight from the tap – use bottled water or boiled tap water until the water supply is declared safe by your water supplier.

4. Take photos of any damage: Take photos of the aftermath to show to your insurer as evidence of damage caused by the flooding. It will be good to compare these images to any before photos that you have.

5. Dispose of food: It’s best to get rid of any food that could have come into contact with the floodwater (if you intend to claim for your damaged food, however, you should collect some ‘after’ photos of the damage caused by the floodwater).

6. Ventilate your home: Once the flooding is declared finished, open doors and windows to ventilate and dry out your home – remember to unlock air bricks and you could also invest in a dehumidifier to speed up the process.

How to make a claim on flood insurance:

1. Inform your insurer: When a flood has caused damage that you’ll need to claim for, tell your insurer as soon as you can.

2. Organise evidence: As suggested above, take pictures and/or video recordings of the flood and any damage caused. Additionally, note down details like the depth of the water.

3. Leave everything as it is: It’s best to speak to your insurer before trying to clear or repair anything that’s been damaged, in case this affects your claim.

4. Consider consulting a loss assessor: Insurance companies can appoint a loss assessor to investigate a claim and decide how much they’ll pay out. Loss assessors can also represent your claim, but you’ll be charged a fee for this service.