Christmas weather wreaks havoc on homes and cars

The strong gales seen over the festive period has led to an increased number of insurance claims, according to the AA.

Research shows that the Christmas period saw 1,000 home storm and flood claims and 130 car claims – and 1,100 cars had to be rescued from flood water.

The majority of home claims were due to dislodged tiles or aerials, broken windows or fallen trees. Claimants have been authorised to protect their homes from further damage to the cost of £1,000.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said the number of drivers that ignored warnings to not drive down flooded roads was concerning. He reported that many of the AA’s Special Operations team rescued “4×4 drivers under the misapprehension that their vehicle can cope with anything”.

He added that the AA’s own research showed that nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) of cars stranded in flood water are written off and that an insurer is unlikely to meet the cost of a claim if a sign had been ignored.

However, the total number of home claims is expected to be five per cent lower than 2012’s tally, suggesting that despite the wild weather, 2013 won’t be as costly as originally anticipated.

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