Dealing with flooding

The last few months have seen parts of Northern Ireland deluged with rain.  An emergency meeting of Assembly ministers was called yesterday to work out an adequate response to assist those affected by floodwaters.  A total flooding fund of £1.3 million has been made available from Westminister to deal with flooding, but departments have not yet decided how this will be allocated.  In the meantime, people whose homes have been seriously damaged by flooding may be eligible for help from their local council. 

Council assistance

Homeowners and tenants who have been seriously inconvenienced by flooding may be eligible for an emergency payment from their local council. Households who may be eligible for this payment should contact the local council as soon as possible and request an inspection.  The payment is intended to help householders make their homes habitable again and is not a form of compensation.  The council may also be able to help remove damaged furniture or appliances from homes which have been affected by floods and may provide dehumidifiers.

Claiming on insurance

If your home has been affected by flooding, you should contact your insurance company to make a claim.  Homeowners should consult their policy documents to establish what level of cover they have.  Tenants will need to notify their landlord of any flooding.  The landlord will notify his or her insurance company to deal with any damage to the structure of the building and the interior walls and flooring.  Tenants will need to claim on their own contents insurance if any of their possessions have been damaged due to flooding.   The insurance company will send out a loss adjuster to assess the damage caused. When you initially contact your insurer, you should try to establish exactly what level of cover they will provide.  You should also take a video of any damage as soon as you are able to, as the water levels may have receded significantly by the time the loss adjuster visits. 

The Housing Executive and housing associations should assist with cleanup of any of their properties which have been damaged during floods.  

Advice on dealing with bad weather

Our public advice website has advice on how to deal with bad weather for homeowners, private tenants, NIHE tenants and housing association tenants.  Any flooding incidents should be reported to Northern Ireland's Flooding Incident Line on 0300 2000 100.