The first named storm of the season tends to arrive on a Friday night, just as you are settling down with a film and the wind starts sounding like a train in the chimney. Most of the damage it causes is entirely preventable, and most of the work takes a dry weekend in October or early November. The trick is doing it in the right order, starting with water, because water does far more expensive damage to British homes than wind ever does.
A blocked gutter holds water against the fascia board, and once that water finds a way in, it tracks down walls, soaks loft insulation and leaves you with a brown stain on the bedroom ceiling in February. Clear gutters once the leaves are mostly down, usually late November, then check them again after the first big blow. A gutter scoop on a telescopic pole lets you work from the ground, which is the safest option. If you do go up a ladder, wait for a calm, dry day, ask someone to foot the ladder, keep three points of contact and never lean it against a plastic gutter.
Downpipes block quietly. Pour a bucket of water into the top and watch it appear at the drain; if it backs up or trickles, there is a blockage. Clear gully grates and drain covers by hand or with a rake, including the ones on the drive where leaves collect. Finally, look along the gutter line itself. Sagging brackets and pulled joints will overflow in a downpour even when the channel is spotless, and they are a five-minute fix with a screwdriver in September and a roofer's job in a January storm.
Walk the garden and look up. Dead branches hanging in the canopy, splits in the trunk, fungus growing out of the bark, or a patch of soil that has lifted on one side of a large tree are all warnings worth taking seriously. If anything is within falling distance of the house, a shed or overhead cables, get a qualified arborist to look at it. Tree work near buildings and power lines is not a DIY job, and a properly insured, qualified contractor is worth the money. Bring hedges back into shape while you are at it, which autumn allows before the nesting season begins.
Then deal with the loose stuff. Trampolines, garden chairs, parasols, bins, wheelbarrows, planters and gas bottles all take flight in a strong gust and land in places that cost money to repair. Store what you can, weight what you cannot, and check fence posts and panels now. A panel that lifts in the wind is usually a sign of rot at the base rather than bad luck.
You can inspect a surprising amount from the ground with binoculars. Look for slipped or missing tiles and slates, lifted flashing around chimneys, cracked mortar, loose ridge tiles and cracked chimney pots. Inside the loft, check for daylight through the roof and for new damp patches on the timbers or insulation. Flex the shed roof, check the felt is still nailed down and that the door latch holds. If you spot anything you cannot fix from ground level, book a roofer now, while they still have quieter weeks. Nobody should be walking on a wet roof in a breeze.
You do not need a bunker. You need one box you can find in the dark, plus a plan for the first few hours of a power cut. Keep it together in a plastic crate in a cupboard you can reach without a torch.
Know where your fuse box, stopcock and gas meter are before you need them. Use torches rather than candles, and never run a generator, camping stove or barbecue indoors, in a garage or in a conservatory, because of carbon monoxide. If the power goes, unplug sensitive electronics, leave one lamp switched on so you know when it returns, and keep the freezer shut. In Great Britain you can call 105 to report or check a power cut. Then check on older or vulnerable neighbours, who may not have a charged phone or anyone nearby.
Read the policy in October, not the morning after the storm. Check whether storm and flood damage are covered, what your excess is, and whether the contents cover includes sheds, outbuildings and garden furniture. Look for alternative accommodation cover in case your home becomes uninhabitable, and for anything that excludes fences, gates or hedges, which many policies treat separately.
Photograph every room, plus anything valuable, and store the images somewhere you can reach from a phone or a friend's computer. Save your insurer's claims number somewhere offline, because your mobile may be flat. If damage happens, report it promptly, keep receipts for emergency repairs and do not throw damaged items away before an assessor has seen them. When in doubt about what your policy actually covers, ask your insurer directly or speak to a regulated adviser rather than relying on a forum post. If you live in a flood-prone area, sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings now, so the alert reaches you before the water does.
Do it in this sequence and nothing gets missed. Saturday morning: gutters, downpipes and drains, while the weather is settled. Saturday afternoon: trees, fences and anything loose in the garden. Sunday morning: the roof and exterior look, with binoculars and a notebook. Sunday afternoon: build or restock the kit, take the insurance photographs and save the policy number in two places. That is a couple of days of unglamorous work, and it is the difference between watching the storm from the sofa and spending the next three months chasing builders.
Photo: Get Lost Mike / Pexels
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