Insurers count cost of flood damage

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The cost of claims on home insurance policies made by victims of the recent floods is likely to run into tens of millions of pounds, according to insurers.

And with more rain later this week expected to hamper the clean-up effort, that figure could rise even further. Six lives were lost and thousands of homes suffered damage after weekend storms lashed parts of the North East of England, Herefordshire, Yorkshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

The town of Morpeth in Northumberland was worst hit, with emergency services having to evacuate 400 residents and reporting floodwater damage to 1,000 properties.

Government minister John Healey is visiting Morpeth to meet emergency services staff and see the clean-up in progress.

Home insurance claims could run into the “low tens of millions”, according to initial estimates by the Association of British Insurers.

Further rain was forecast for the start of the week, with another 10mm of rainfall expected in the North East on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has issued 42 flood warnings, mostly for the North East.

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