2024 promises to be a record-breaking year for storm damage – it is already 43% higher than last year. According to the latest report from Seesam, this was largely due to the storms of June and early August. “Year after year, storms are causing more and more trouble in Estonia, and the reality is that each new year breaks records for storm damage. Although the compensation for damage from the recent storm and heavy rainfall has not yet been completed, the amount of compensation paid out is already a third higher than last year. The largest damage so far has reached 6,000 euros, and the average storm damage over the past year has been 1,405 euros,” said Dagmar Gilden, Seesam’s product manager for home insurance. Harju County suffers the most According to the insurer, the list of items damaged is approximately the same every year, despite the fact that both the Rescue Board and insurance companies disseminate information and warnings about storms. The worst affected areas are fences, especially those that were already in poor condition before the storm. Also damaged are canopies, roofs and yard property such as trampolines, garden furniture and robotic lawn mowers. Unfortunately, the main culprits of damage are usually broken trees. This year, a fallen tree damaged the roof and terrace of a residential building, and in the second case, a fence, and the damage amounted to 5,100 euros and 4,800 euros, respectively. At the same time, a broken birch tree top was also known to have damaged a trampoline, causing damage amounting to 310 euros. “There are also frequent cases when the wind throws yard property through the window, such as unsecured trampolines and garden furniture, or hanging chairs on chains on the balconies of apartment buildings. The damage is not always great, but it is annoying and can be easily prevented. We recently had a case where garden furniture was not secured and as a result it was lifted into the air during a storm, flew across the garden and was damaged. The amount of damage was 1,405 euros,” Gilden gave examples of storm damage. According to the insurer, the main risk areas are Tallinn and its surroundings, where the storm has damaged the most households this year. According to Gilden, storm damage accounts for about 5% of all damage cases in quantitative terms, and loss adjusters deal with it on a daily basis, as squalls that cause damage occur even when there is no storm warning in the media. Thunderstorms are merciless Thunderstorms often occur during storms, and in their case, two major types of damage can be discussed: fires and damage to devices due to overvoltage. “Every year, thunderstorms cause significant material damage to people, even without setting buildings on fire. For example, one of our clients recently suffered damage to various household appliances, and the damage exceeded 5,000 euros. The damage to solar panels and their components has reached 10,000 euros in several cases. “The control electronics of household equipment such as heat pumps, security systems, solar panels and their components often break down,” Gilden said about the damage from thunderstorms. Since the natural pattern of the seasons has changed and heat waves, dry periods and extreme storms are increasingly common in Estonia, Gilden also recommends reviewing the insurance contract in this regard. “Homeowners should check whether and under what conditions the insurance will cover damage to a device left connected to the network during a thunderstorm, and whether the compensation conditions differ for the equipment servicing the building,” Gilden advised. Regardless of whether your home is insured, it is worth taking precautions during a thunderstorm to ensure that your home and the things inside remain in good condition and that no additional threat, such as a fire, arises. “Storm clouds often arrive without warning, so when leaving home for the day or for the weekend, it is worth unplugging home electronics that do not require electricity constantly and can be disconnected. It is also better not to charge devices during a thunderstorm: phones, computers, bicycle batteries, etc. Another way to minimize the risk is to turn off the circuit breakers or the main fuse, which is also recommended by the Rescue Department,” said Gilden, listing the steps that will help protect your home from thunderstorms. Read RusDelfi wherever it is convenient for you. Follow us on Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and even TikTok.
