Aviva and Zurich brace for weekend flooding

Aviva and Zurich both have extra staff on standby to prepare for heavy rain and possible flooding over the weekend.

In a statement, Aviva said it had its network of claims teams and building contractors preparing to handle a predicted rise in claims.

Aviva head of property claims Carole Gallagher said: “Getting out to customers will be the priority. Flooding is one of the most traumatic events that a homeowner can suffer and for many people it will be the first time they have had to deal with such disruption to their lives. So we know it is important to explain to people what they can expect and what it means for their home and their family.”

Zurich said its major incident team was also gearing up for wet weather claims.

Zurich UK property claims director Jon Cawley said: “Zurich has not yet seen a significant increase in claims volumes. However, we understand the damage and upheaval caused by flooding and are fully prepared to help our customers should the bad weather look set to continue.”

The insurer had also hired extra loss adjusters and call centre staff, Cawley said.