Srorm Ciaron

[MikeyH]

It's a red alert as the Southerners have never had a storm before

As I will be pretty much in the eye it's mild and breezy

Tim.

On 16 October 1987 Sevenoaks lost several of its Oak trees. 25 January 1990 was pretty blowy too. I was living near Guildford and had no electricity for a few days.

But as I was working in the claims department of an insurance company on both occasions the overtime was a bonus.

Did they rename it 4 oaks?

[MikeyH]

Well we have an amber warning for wind and yellow for rain tomorrow, had sun, went for drive then hail stayed home. Lovely. It's my birthday on Friday and the weather report keeps going from good to bad, hoping to go for a nice drive for full breakfast. Here's hoping

[TitanTim]

Need to check it again, think it excludes specific roof damage from winds over 60mph.

Tim.

If that is excluded I'd be wanting to change insurer - that's bugger-all use!

Got me thinking now Just checked my Policy, think I've missread the pollicy document in the past Mentions I'm covered for storm damage where winds are over 55mph, don't know why I thought the roof was excluded, think I've misread it that I wouldn't be covered if winds exceeded 55, doh. Anyways fences definitely excluded and damage caused by frost but upside is I'm covered for a nuclear blast

Ti.

[TitanTim]

The house missing the roof was earlier in the week with a small tornado in Sussex

Certainly made a mess, roofs completely ripped off Living in a bungalow, I'm relatively sheltered from the mansion house next door so would probably get their roof ontop of mine

Tim.

[Pondrew]

Certainly made a mess, roofs completely ripped off Living in a bungalow, I'm relatively sheltered from the mansion house next door so would probably get their roof ontop of mine

During the last BIG storm we had here in around 2017, my newly finished house decided to let quite a few of the (very expensive) roof slates go with the 87mph wind. We found slates (or remnants of) next morning in our next door neighbours' garden......our rear garden was 500ft long!

Then, of course, muggins here had to get up on the roof and sort it out. The wind had ripped some of the ridge tiles off aswell...these were screwed to ridge battens, so it was quite a force. I will never forget the noise of that night, as we were surrounded by a spinney on two sides and 70ft high Poplars on another. That and our roof slates 'chattering' all night. Luckily none of the trees fell on the house. One big Ash did fall onto our rear garden, but that was good, as I got the chainsaw out and had free firewood for months!

I didn't get a wink of sleep that night...but of course my wife and 12 year old daughter slept through the lot!

[TitanTim]

Certainly made a mess, roofs completely ripped off Living in a bungalow, I'm relatively sheltered from the mansion house next door so would probably get their roof ontop of mine

During the last BIG storm we had here in around 2017, my newly finished house decided to let quite a few of the (very expensive) roof slates go with the 87mph wind. We found slates (or remnants of) next morning in our next door neighbours' garden......our rear garden was 500ft long!

Then, of course, muggins here had to get up on the roof and sort it out. The wind had ripped some of the ridge tiles off aswell...these were screwed to ridge battens, so it was quite a force. I will never forget the noise of that night, as we were surrounded by a spinney on two sides and 70ft high Poplars on another. That and our roof slates 'chattering' all night. Luckily none of the trees fell on the house. One big Ash did fall onto our rear garden, but that was good, as I got the chainsaw out and had free firewood for months!

I didn't get a wink of sleep that night...but of course my wife and 12 year old daughter slept through the lot!

I'm not very good with heights but had to get up on the roof a few months back as noticed an old Flue chimney pot was listing at 45 degrees and letting in rain water down the flue. I can never walk up a roof as always too afraid of losing my balance so put some some builders knee pads on and crawled up the roof. I was thinking whilst up there if I fall its only a bungalow so not far to fall I crawled backwards back down the roof, the neighbours if watching must have thought there's that idiot again.

Tim.

[Mr Tidy]

Got me thinking now Just checked my Policy, think I've missread the pollicy document in the past Mentions I'm covered for storm damage where winds are over 55mph, don't know why I thought the roof was excluded, think I've misread it that I wouldn't be covered if winds exceeded 55, doh. Anyways fences definitely excluded and damage caused by frost but upside is I'm covered for a nuclear blast

Ti.

That makes more sense.

I soon lost count of the number of people who made storm claims for knackered flat roofs when there was nothing more than a breeze.

Winds over 55 mph may cause roof damage, although a decent roof should withstand much higher wind speeds.

AFAIK fences have never been covered for storm damage, because they always blow over!

[MikeyH]

Well it’s brewing up nicely outside here now. All this talk of flying slates is making my poor zed shiver with fear

[Pondrew]

That makes more sense.

I soon lost count of the number of people who made storm claims for knackered flat roofs when there was nothing more than a breeze.

Winds over 55 mph may cause roof damage, although a decent roof should withstand much higher wind speeds.

AFAIK fences have never been covered for storm damage, because they always blow over!

I remember something about the 'act of God' caveat with insurance?
Basically insurance companies could worm their way out of a lot of claims with that one.

[MikeyH]

The only god they worship is money

[Pondrew]

I'm not very good with heights

Nor me, TBH. You can't walk up a slate roof, either, as they won't take weight. Had to use 'crawling ladders' slung over the ridge. It wasn't pleasant on a 9m ridge height, but hey, I'm hard! Worse bit was getting from the ground ladder to the roof ladder, over the guttering and overhang. It was quite scary.

The other option was to speak with the insurers...that was worse TBH as then I would have got some numpty 'roofer' turn up and bodge it and still be paying for the claim today!

[Pondrew]

Heard on the ITV news weather that there are going to be '800 MPH gusts along the South Coast'. I think he may have added an extra nought by mistake!

If he didn't then RIP N4LLY.

[MikeyH]

800 mph, that’s almost warp factor 1

[Mr Tidy]

I remember something about the 'act of God' caveat with insurance?
Basically insurance companies could worm their way out of a lot of claims with that one.

I got my first insurance job in 1977 and left that industry in 2010, but I still read every policy wording thoroughly (for obvious reasons) and I've never seen those words in any policy yet.

Act of war, insurgency or uprising definitely, but God doesn't get a mention.

[Pondrew]

Act of war, insurgency or uprising definitely, but God doesn't get a mention.

I knew I didn't make it up:
From the AA insurance website
While insurance companies used to feature Act of God clauses in the contracts, very few do so nowadays.

Unfortunately I had a plague of locusts ruin my crops last year and the insurance refused to pay out, as they said it was 'of biblical proportions' so quoted the caveat. They were also highly suspicious about locusts in rural Lincolnshire!