25 February, 2011

2010 worst year on record for cold weather claims says NFU Mutual

Two prolonged spells of sub zero temperatures and heavy snow made 2010 the worst year on record for cold weather claims at leading rural insurer NFU Mutual.

December’s arctic weather conditions led to almost 6,000 claims expected to cost over £34m for damage to homes, farms and businesses.

“Coupled with the very cold spell in January 2010, December’s icy blast has made 2010 the worst year in our 100-year history for cold weather claims,” said John Kenny, Chief Claims Manager.

“The worst affected areas for snow damage in both events were the North East of Scotland and the North East of England where snow falls of over two feet led to hundreds of farm building roofs collapsing under the weight of snow.

“Spending a day in Yorkshire visiting customers who had suffered the most serious damage I was struck by the sheer scale of destruction. The heavy snowfall caused a trail of collapsed buildings - including the catastrophic collapse of a brand new milking parlour. “

He explained that the visit formed part of a review of the way the snow and ice claims had been dealt with.

“After a long run of mild winters, 2010 has been a reminder that ice and snow can wreak tremendous damage. There are lessons to be learned- particularly about the construction of farm building roofs and the siting and insulation of water pipes.

“As a mutual insurer, no one is more important to us than farmers and the rural community so our first priority was to get emergency repairs under way for people whose property or vehicles had been seriously damaged. At times like these, our network of over 300 local offices across the UK comes into its own.”

He recommended farmers and homeowners with outbuildings made sure their buildings were covered for storm damage, as some people were not able to claim for damaged roofs because they had not taken out storm insurance.

“It’s important to bear in mind that  even if outbuildings have little or no value, you can still face high costs for demolition – especially if they have asbestos cement roofs,” he added.

John also advised farmers to take extreme care when attempting to clear snow from building roofs.

“Working on farm roofs is dangerous at the best of times but in deep snow the risks are even greater. Advice on dealing with snow on roofs, burst pipes and other winter hazards is on our website: nfumutual.co.uk.”