Storm Damage Restoration in Hull

What storms do to Hull houses

East Yorkshire takes the weather side-on. Storm Babet in October 2023 flooded more than a thousand homes across Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Humber area, according to the Met Office. In January 2024 Henk, Isha and Jocelyn came through in quick succession, and waves breached the sea wall at Hornsea, putting water up to 1.8m deep on the promenade.

In the city itself, most storm damage we see is one of three things:

• Roof and chimney water. Slipped slates on older terraces, tired flashing round chimney stacks, and flat felt roofs on back extensions that let go under days of rain.
• Wind-driven rain. Water pushed through solid brick walls, round window frames and under door thresholds on the exposed side of the house.
• Surface water from the street. When the pumped drains can't keep up, water backs up through gullies and runs along the ten-foots into back yards and kitchens.

After the storm passes

1. Make the roof safe first. A tarp or temporary repair stops more water getting in. If you need a roofer, get one booked before the next band of rain.
2. Photograph the outside too. Missing slates, fallen fences and the gutter that overflowed, as well as the wet rooms inside. Note the date and time.
3. Find where the water went. We use moisture meters to trace it through ceilings, stud walls and floor voids, because storm water often turns up a room or two away from where it got in.
4. Dry it and record it. Dehumidifiers and air movers until the readings are right, with each visit logged for your insurer.
5. Repair. Ceilings, plaster and floors once the structure is dry.

Making a storm claim stick

Storm cover is where many claims get turned down. The Financial Ombudsman asks three questions when it reviews one: were there storm conditions on the day, is the damage the kind a storm causes, and was the storm the main cause rather than an old roof finally failing. So keep the weather records for the day, photograph the damage straight away, and don't let a roofer throw away the broken slates before your insurer has seen them. Water that came in from the street is usually a flood claim rather than storm, so say where it came from.

If the power is off after a storm, ring Northern Powergrid on 105. For flood warnings, Floodline is 0345 988 1188.

Our water damage cost guide sets out what pumping out, stripping out and drying usually cost, and how flood and escape of water claims differ.