Navigating Home Insurance After Storm Ciaran and Storm Domingos

Was your home affected by Storm Ciaran or Storm Domingos? Although every home insurance contract contains a storm guarantee, some insurers nevertheless require proof of the violence of the winds.

Yes theHome Insurance is, on paper, not obligatory, it is, in fact, strongly recommended. The Ciaran and Domingos storms, which have just hit France, are an excellent illustration of this. Roof blown off, trees falling… significant material damage was noted. To cover the cost of the repairs to be carried out, the owners of the homes concerned, and who are insured, can turn to their insurer. But be careful: some insurance companies require proof that the winds have reached a certain threshold to compensate their clients.

A storm guarantee must be included in home insurance

The beginning of November was marked by two violent weather episodes, with storm Ciaran, which affected Brittany, and storm Domingos, in New Aquitaine. Many houses and cars of residents of these regions have suffered damage, sometimes considerable, such as roofs being torn off by the force of the wind or spectacular tree falls. And for good reason: the winds sometimes reached, and even exceeded, 200 km/h!

Faced with the cost of repairs to be undertaken, we understand the benefit of taking out home insurance to protect your house or apartment, even though this contract is not obligatory for owners. Policyholders can thus turn to their insurer to request compensation, and thus be able to call on qualified professionals and be able to pay the bill.

Regarding the storm guarantee, France Assureurs explains: “Your home contract must contain a storm guarantee which covers all damage caused by wind (falling tree, damaged or torn roof, furniture damaged by rain following damage to the wind). roofing, etc.)”. In other words, as soon as you have a home insurance contract, storm guarantee is automatically included… but its activation is sometimes subject to certain conditions.

Also read: Insurance: what has changed for the termination of contracts since July 1

These insurance companies which require proof of the violence of the winds

Although the storm guarantee appears in all comprehensive home insurance contracts, its activation is not automatic. Not only is it necessary to have the damage suffered noted, but it is also sometimes necessary to prove that the winds reached an abnormal intensity when the disaster occurred.

This notion of abnormal wind intensity may differ depending on the insurance companies. For example, a minimum of 100 km/h is required at Caisse d’Epargne, Crédit Mutuel, Gan, Generali, GMF, Matmut, MMA, but also Swiss Life, according to the census carried out by Linternaute.com. At Axa, this threshold also exists, but is reduced to 90 km/h. To find out if your home insurance contract is affected by such a limitation, it is necessary to refer to the general conditions provided when subscribing.

From this minimum intensity threshold, a question arises: how to prove the violence of the winds which struck one’s home? In most cases, insurance companies require the provision of a certificate from the weather station closest to your home. It is also possible that the activation of the storm guarantee is subject to the observation of damage to “other buildings of good construction within a radius of 5 km” summarizes the National Agency for Housing Information (Anil ).