Storm Damage and Your Home Insurance: What Is Covered, What Is Not, and How to Claim After Storm Stacey

Last reviewed: 4 June 2026

The phrase "act of God" is sometimes used to describe storm events as if they were uninsurable. That is wrong. UK home insurance policies routinely cover storm damage to the property structure. The disputes between insurers and policyholders almost never turn on whether storms are insurable in principle. They turn on three specific points: whether the weather event met the policy wording, whether the damage was caused by the storm rather than by pre existing wear, and whether the damaged item is in scope of buildings cover at all.

What buildings cover usually includes

Standard buildings insurance covers the permanent structure of the property and items that are not easily removable. That includes the roof and roof coverings, walls and brickwork, chimneys, windows and external doors, permanent fixtures such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms, garages and outbuildings (typically listed by name in the policy schedule), gates and boundary walls (sometimes excluded), fences and hedges (almost always excluded), and the drainage system. Where the storm causes damage to any of these items, buildings cover responds subject to the excess and the policy wording.

Contents insurance is a separate policy, often bundled with buildings. It covers movable items inside the home: furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen equipment. Where storm damage to the property structure has secondary effects inside the home, such as rain water through a damaged roof affecting carpets and electronics, contents cover responds to the internal damage and buildings cover responds to the structural cause. This is why many insurers ask policyholders to claim through the bundled buildings and contents policy rather than splitting the claim.

The fence exclusion

Almost all UK buildings policies exclude or sub limit damage to fences and gates from storm cover. The Association of British Insurers gives the underwriting reason in its public guidance. Fences are exposed to high winds in every storm, deteriorate predictably over time, and would generate claims so often that including them in storm cover would push premiums up materially for all policyholders. The exclusion sits in the policy wording from the start, so storm damage to a fence is not a basis for complaint to the FOS.

The exception is where the fence is structurally tied to a brick wall or where the boundary feature is itself a structural element of the property. In that situation the damage is to the structure, not to the fence, and buildings cover should respond.

The Beaufort scale threshold

Most UK home policies define a storm by reference to wind speed and to the Beaufort scale. The threshold varies by insurer but a common wording is gusts of at least 55mph (Beaufort scale 10) or rainfall of at least 25mm per hour. The Met Office publishes the data, and the FOS uses it when adjudicating disputes. Where a storm warning is issued by the Met Office and named (such as Storm Stacey), the wind speed evidence is usually clear. Where damage is reported in the absence of a named storm, the policyholder has to provide evidence of the weather event.

If a claim is rejected because the insurer says the storm did not meet the threshold, the policyholder can ask the FOS to review the decision. The FOS will look at the Met Office data for the postcode, the policy wording on storm definition, and whether the damage is consistent with a storm event.

The gradual damage exclusion

The most common rejection pattern in storm claims is where the insurer accepts the storm happened but argues the damage was caused by gradual wear rather than by the storm itself. A common example is a roof tile that comes loose. The insurer accepts the tile was dislodged by the storm but argues the tile would have come loose anyway because the mortar was already failing.

The FOS published guidance on this pattern is direct. If the storm was the proximate cause of the damage, the claim should be paid even if pre existing wear contributed to the vulnerability. The test is whether the damage would have happened without the storm. Where insurers have rejected claims on a gradual damage basis without proper supporting evidence, the FOS has frequently overturned the decision in favour of the policyholder.

Food spoilage and alternative accommodation

A storm that causes a power cut can spoil the contents of a fridge or freezer. Most UK home contents policies include freezer contents cover, typically with a sub limit of 250 to 500 and an excess. Check the policy schedule for the specific figure. The claim is straightforward: list the items spoiled, attach receipts or reasonable estimates of value, and submit through the contents cover.

If the storm damage renders the home temporarily uninhabitable, buildings cover typically includes alternative accommodation cover. The sub limit is usually 20 percent of the buildings sum insured per claim. This pays for hotel or short term let costs while the property is being repaired. The insurer will require a loss adjuster's confirmation that the property is uninhabitable.

The claim process: what to do first

Before clearing up, document the damage. Take photographs from multiple angles. Record video where possible. Make a written list of damaged items with approximate value. Keep any receipts for emergency repair (boarding up a window, tarpaulin over a damaged roof). The insurer will reimburse reasonable emergency costs as part of the claim.

Notify the insurer as soon as practicable. Most policies require notification within a specific window (often 30 days) but earlier is better. The insurer will assign a claims handler and may appoint a loss adjuster for larger claims. The loss adjuster's role is to verify the cause and extent of damage. Cooperation with the loss adjuster is a policy condition, but the loss adjuster works for the insurer not the policyholder. Where a claim is complex, a policyholder can appoint their own loss assessor (a different role, working for the policyholder), although this costs a percentage of the claim value.

If the claim is rejected, request the reasons in writing. The insurer has up to eight weeks under FCA dispute resolution rules to provide a final response. If the final response is unsatisfactory, the FOS reference number on the response letter is the route to a free, independent review. The FOS is binding on the insurer where the policyholder accepts the decision and can award up to 430,000.

Frequently asked questions

Does home insurance cover damage from Storm Stacey?

Yes for damage to the property structure including the roof, walls, chimneys, windows and permanent outbuildings, subject to the storm meeting the policy definition (usually gusts of at least 55mph) and to the policy excess. Damage to fences and gates is almost always excluded. Where rainwater enters through storm damage and harms internal contents, the contents policy responds to the internal damage and buildings cover responds to the structural cause.

Why are fences excluded from storm damage cover?

The Association of British Insurers explains that fences are exposed to high winds in every storm, deteriorate predictably over time, and would generate claims so often that including them in storm cover would push premiums up materially for all policyholders. The exclusion is in the policy wording from the start. The exception is where the fence is structurally tied to a brick wall, in which case the damage is to the structure rather than to the fence.

What if the insurer says the storm did not meet the policy threshold?

The Met Office publishes the wind speed and rainfall data for every postcode and the data is available retrospectively. Where a storm is named (such as Storm Stacey), the wind speed evidence is usually clear. If the insurer relies on the threshold to reject a claim, ask for the Met Office data they relied on and check it against the postcode of the property. The Financial Ombudsman Service uses the same data when reviewing rejections.

The insurer says the damage was caused by wear and tear, not the storm. Is that valid?

It can be a valid exclusion but the FOS has overturned many rejections on this basis. The test is whether the damage would have happened without the storm. If the storm was the proximate cause, the claim should be paid even if pre existing wear made the property more vulnerable. Where the insurer has not provided clear evidence that the wear was the actual cause, the policyholder has a strong case for escalation to the FOS.

How long do I have to make a claim after Storm Stacey?

The notification window is set in the policy wording and is typically 30 days from the date of the damage, although earlier is always better. Some policies use language such as "as soon as reasonably possible". Late notification can give the insurer grounds to reduce the settlement if the delay caused additional damage. If you cannot notify immediately because the property is inaccessible, document the reasons in writing.