Not all strong winds are considered storms for insurance purposes. And this technical detail can determine whether or not there is room for compensation in multi-risk home insurance. The assessment depends on what is written in the policy and the objective criteria set by the insurer.
According to ECO, a website specializing in economics, which heard from Luís Costa, Head of Technical Lines & Complex Claims at Verlingue, there is no single definition of a storm in the insurance market. Each contract establishes the requirements that allow coverage to be activated.
What does the contract say, after all?
According to the same source, many policies require a minimum wind speed for the phenomenon to be classified as a storm. This threshold is often between 90 and 105 kilometers per hour and may be higher on more restrictive products.
If the recorded wind falls below these values, the insurance company may not assume responsibility, even if damage has occurred to the home.
The contractual definition is decisive. It is this classification that establishes the obligation to compensate, explains the website.
How to check wind speed
Proof is not based on perceptions or isolated reports. According to ECO, wind speeds must be recorded by official entities, such as the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, or by certified meteorological stations close to the accident site.
Some contracts also allow cumulative or alternative criteria, such as the verification of typical effects of the phenomenon. Among them are widespread roofing, falling trees or collapse of solid structures within a certain geographic radius, which can reach five kilometers.
Without these records or evidence, the event may not be classified as a storm for coverage purposes.
Storm is not a natural phenomenon
The basic multi-risk insurance packages generally include coverage against fire, lightning strikes, explosions, storms, floods and landslides. However, as ECO states, this is not an absolute rule, varying from product to product.
Coverages such as specific hail or seismic events are often optional and require additional premium payment.
In the case of floods, only occurrences that cumulatively meet the requirements of sudden, random and uncertain are considered to be accidents. Water ingress due to maintenance failures or progressive infiltrations are usually excluded.
Why do so many disagreements arise?
One of the reasons for policyholders’ surprise is due to the incomplete reading of the policy. According to the expert interviewed by , the exclusions and technical criteria are included in the full text of the contract and do not always appear clearly in the summary coverage tables.
The difference between the customer’s expectations and the insurer’s response often arises in this gap.
In case of doubt, it is essential to consult the general and particular conditions of the contract to understand what the applicable definition of storm is and what proof criteria are required.
In a context of increasingly frequent and intense meteorological phenomena, knowing these details can make the difference between an accepted compensation and a loss borne by the owner himself.
Also read:
