A summer thunderstorm, tiles blown off, and by the evening the ceiling of the top-floor flat is dripping – storm damage is a recurring scene in condominium life, and one of the most frequent insurance questions too: when does the insurer pay, and when does it say that this is really a maintenance shortcoming? In this article I look at how storm cover works and how to handle the grey zone.
- Storm cover typically applies to damage caused by wind above a defined wind speed – the definition is set out in the policy terms.
- A leak after a storm can be part of the storm damage if the rain came in through a structure that the storm itself had opened up.
- The most common source of dispute is the maintenance objection: with damage to a neglected roof the insurer may limit the cover – which is why documented maintenance protects you.
What makes a storm a “storm”?
Windy weather in the everyday sense and the insurance concept of a storm are not the same thing: policy terms typically treat air movement above a defined wind speed as a storm, and cover the mechanical damage caused by wind above that threshold – roof covering torn off, a chimney brought down, damaged metal flashing, damage from a fallen tree. Hail and snow load are usually separately named natural perils within the same family – the natural perils article shows the full list.
The two routes of a leak
With a leak after a storm the key question is the chain of cause and effect. If the rain got into the building through a structure opened up by the storm – tiles swept away, flashing ripped up – that is typically storm damage: reinstating the structure and the water damage to the commonly owned parts can fall to the building's policy. If, however, the water seeped in through an intact but aged, gappy roof covering, that is already a maintenance question, and the cover easily stalls. Damage inside a flat – decoration, furniture – belongs first of all to the resident's home insurance even then: the division of labour is set out in the who covers what article.
The maintenance objection – and its antidote
In storm claims insurers may lawfully examine whether a lack of maintenance played a part in the damage. The building's best defence is therefore not argument but evidence: regular roof inspections, invoices and photos of the work carried out, minutes of the walk-rounds. A building that maintains its fabric and can prove it negotiates from a strong position after a storm too. For the routine: loss prevention checklist.
After a storm: the right order
First comes loss mitigation: temporary covering, preventing further water ingress – its reasonable cost is typically part of the claim. Second is documentation: photos of the structure and of the damage to the flats, the time of the event and, if possible, information about the storm itself. Third is reporting the claim through the insurer's claims line and online claims portal – usually by the property manager – and only after that the final reinstatement. The full sequence: reporting a claim step by step; and if the matter goes nowhere: the broker steps in when a case stalls or becomes disputed.
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