Storm Darragh not a storm, Kidderminster man told by insurers

People are continuing to count the cost of Storm Darragh – but one man has been told by his insurers it was not actually a storm at all.

Dennis Iliffe has been refused a pay-out because wind speeds in his home town of Kidderminster did not hit 55mph.

Mr Iliffe said he was “absolutely astounded” to learn the wind that damaged his house was 2mph too slow. His insurance provider Ageas has been asked to comment.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has confirmed that a storm is “a period of violent weather defined as wind speeds with gusts of at least 48 knots (55mph)”.

Mr Iliffe has been left £500 out of pocket after get his aerial replaced and chimney repaired.

On Ageas’ refusal to pay out, he said: “They didn’t want to know. They said the gust was only 53mph and it has to be 55mph to be declared a storm.”

Some of Mr Iliffe’s neighbours also suffered damage to their properties – with other aerials destroyed, brickwork damaged, roof tiles blown off, and one with the windows blown out of his greenhouse.

At least one ran into the same problems that Mr Iliffe is now facing.

Mr Iliffe had been forced to compare his problem to so-called “acts of God”, which are traditionally quoted by insurance providers as events they will not cover.

“You pay insurance, you think you’re covered,” said Mr Iliffe.

“But when you come to make a claim, they don’t want to pay.”

He accepted that insurance providers may be wary of people using storms as a pretext to make a claim on properties already in need of repair.

“But what on earth are you covered for?” he asked. “If you have a fire, does the fire have to be a certain temperature? It beggars belief.”