One in four homes in the UK could be affected by the St Jude storm, according to Halifax home insurance.
The company is urging homeowners to act on the bad weather by taking action to improve their own property – or risk having to claim for serious damage on their insurance policy.
Its study suggests that 19 per cent of house have suffered from water entering the building over the last two years and a quarter of people have never even checked what condition their roof is in.
Worryingly, only one in four people are aware of what is and what is not covered by their home insurance.
Senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance Martyn Foulds said: “Homes that have been neglected throughout the year are particularly susceptible to further damage, as problems which have previously been ignored, can be exacerbated by severe winds and rainfall.”
In 2012, the firm dealt with nearly 27,000 claims caused by wind damage – totalling more than £15.5 million in repairs.
Burst pipes were also a major problem – with almost 22,000 claims being received by the company. Each one cost an average of £1,779 to put right.