Storm Arwen damage may cost £300m

Claims for Storm Arwen, which brought chaos to Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north-east of England last year as winds of over 70mph ravaged the countryside, have topped £80 million for one rural insurer alone.

Fallen trees, power outages and floods saw rural homes, farms and other businesses suffering damage and disruption when the storm struck at the end of November 2021.

The dangerous winds were compounded by freezing temperatures, snow and localised flooding, which caused further damage and danger and made travel treacherous or impossible.

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Still counting the cost, NFU Mutual this week revealed that it had received more than 8,000 claims totalling over £80 million for the damage caused.

Jon Bird, Property Claims Manager at NFU Mutual, explained the impact of Storm Arwen on the insurer’s customers.

“The unique nature of Storm Arwen and its concentration in exposed, rural areas meant that the countryside suffered significant damage.”

He said that in the months since the devastating storm, NFU Mutual, which insures three quarters of the UK’s farms and thousands of rural homes and businesses, had been supporting around 8,000 customers who suffered loss at the hands of Storm Arwen.

“Some repairs are still ongoing, and the total cost of the damage seen by NFU Mutual has exceeded £80 million, which goes to show the devastation such severe weather can cause.”

But while the Mutual is progressing claims for over £80 million in damage, estimates from last year suggest that the total cost of Storm Arwen across all insurers could be as high as £300 million.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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