The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) has urged consumers and businesses to ensure they have the proper insurance cover following the devastation caused by the tornado which hit London today.

This is the second major tornado to hit the UK in recent times, the first hitting a residential area in Birmingham in 2005 injuring twenty people, 3 seriously.

36% of households don’t have building insurance. This would cover perils such as flooding and tornados which have a major impact both on homes and local businesses. Without the cover, natural events can result in massive costs to repair your home, leave you living out of a suitcase for months, and shut down local businesses.

Commenting on the tornados that hit London today, Graeme Trudgill, Technical Services Manager commented: “This mornings events will have ruined Christmas for the residents of those homes affected”

“Too many people are not covered without any home insurance at all, which has a massive impact on their lives. It is too soon to estimate the level of the damage caused by today’s events, but the final bill will come at a huge cost to uninsured homeowners and insurance companies alike.”

“I urgently encourage all home-owners to check with their brokers to ensure that they have both building and contents insurance and the correct sum insured.

“Each year millions of people are potentially at risk from the consequences of flooding and other natural events, and each year too many fall victim to swelling rivers, heavy winds, and even tornadoes.  There is little anyone can do to prevent a tornado damaging their property but we can all act to reduce the potential losses."

Notes to Editors

Consumers and those concerned by today’s events can gain more information on the steps they can take to protect themselves at www.biba.org.uk.

For further information, or to speak to Eric Galbraith, please contact Leighann Burtrand on 020 7397 0223.