The havoc caused by Arwen (Nov 2021) and Eunice (Feb 2022) was significant across the UK. With many holiday parks being in exposed locations, our insurance team experienced a high volume of claims that varied from knocks and dents as a result of things being blown into the holiday home to whole roofs ripped off, and trees falling onto caravans.

Before you close down or leave during the winter, make sure that you store items from outside securely. Anything that might blow away should be kept inside a storage box or placed inside the holiday home.

Be sure to keep an eye on any weather warnings, and follow advice from The Met Office, The Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Make sure that you have the contact details of your insurer to hand, along with a copy of your policy wording – be sure to check any exclusions or conditions in relation to storm damage.

If your holiday caravan or lodge is damaged after a storm…

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible and seek advice on what to do next. If the park is closed or potentially unsafe, make contact with your park owner first.

If necessary, you may need to arrange temporary emergency repairs to stop any damage getting worse, but always speak to your insurer first. It’s vitally important that – as the policyholder – you do all you can to ensure that the damage doesn’t get any worse. This might mean getting someone at the park to help out, or a local tradesman. Some insurers may be able to help with this so make sure that you ask about this. If you have to arrange emergency repairs yourself, tell your insurer and keep any receipts, as this will probably form part of your claim.

Don’t throw away any damaged or broken items – unless they are dangerous – as your insurer may want to review them. During the assessment of your claim, your insurer may appoint a loss adjuster, who will arrange to inspect the damage sustained by your holiday home and report back to your insurer.

If there isn’t any obvious damage caused by a storm it’s advisable to check your holiday home to make sure that there aren’t any minor issues that could cause long-term damage. 

Inspecting your roof for storm damage will be crucial in the event of a claim and for preventing further damage such as flooding or leaking. Dislodged roofing components or broken seals around sky lights can end up causing significant water damage further down the line.

Fallen trees or branches can cause holes and further risk of damage. It may also be an opportunity to clear gutters and conduct an overall visual check of the home. Clearly not everyone will be up to this themselves so you might have to speak to a family member to assist, or the park, or maybe a handyman local to the park.

If you have any questions about your NACO insurance call one of the team on 01255 820 321 or drop us an email on info@nacoservices.com.