Understanding Insurance Compensation for Storm Damage in France: Steps and Conditions

Shops and roads flooded, homes deprived of electricity and damaged homes… Last week, storm Céline swept across the entire French territory for a weekend. And she doesn’t come alone. This Thursday, October 2, another climatic disaster – this time named Ciaran – is expected to hit the French coasts. If your home were to suffer damage, know that your insurance has a duty to cover you… under certain conditions. The Central Reinsurance Fund (CCR), the organization which oversees the natural disaster regime, is therefore returning to Capital on the steps to follow to obtain compensation.

I am damaged, am I compensated?

Any home insurance contract is legally required to contain a “storm” guarantee: according to the CCR, this guarantee is “triggered by insurers when gusts exceed 100 kilometers per hour». Therefore, there is no need to wait for a possible natural disaster order to request compensation from your insurer. If the speed falls below 100 kilometers per hour, your insurer will not compensate you directly.

If your insurer does not protect you, can the “Cat Nat” plan take over? No because “the system of government [catastrophe naturelle] does not cover wind damage in the event of a storm», Specifies the CCR. This plan only covers the consequences of the storm, such as flooding. If the damage is only caused by the wind, like a cyclone, the regime “Cat Nat» only covers the overseas departments.

READ ALSO

Climate change: will insurers still be able to insure you?

What are the steps to take?

Does your insurer, with or without the support of the CCR, cover your claim? This is something to reassure you. But pay attention to the schedule. Contact your insurer – by telephone, post, email or even at an agency – within five days, the legal deadline for making your declaration. To support your request, be sure to group together all the invoices that would attest to the value of the damaged goods inside the home. Without an invoice, your insurer reserves the right to reduce the amount of your compensation. If there is a photo with it, it’s always better…

Once the loss has been noted, you must obviously take steps to limit future damage linked to bad weather, such as covering your damaged roof or sheltering your furniture.

Depending on this description, an expert may be contacted by your insurer. And in the event that an expert is not dispatched, your insurer has tools to assess the extent of the loss, explains the CCR. The greater the damage and the number of victims, the lower the compensation will be. This is the principle of pooling on which insurers rely.