Monday 7 December 2015

Help if you have been affected by the flood this weekend - from insurers, my office and the local authority

Northumberland Flood – Contacts for Help

Today I have received updates from both the Environment Agency and the NCC, who are doing an excellent job in helping the many people across Northumberland who are dealing with the effects of the devastating floods all along the Tyne.  

It is a constantly evolving situation, and there are ongoing checks on the safety of many areas including bridges and the flood barriers, which is a main priority; we are now into the recovery phase where the clean-up begins; my understanding is that a pumping exercise has taken place in Corbridge throughout the day and both the bridge and main car park have now reopened. As the water subsides we will bpoth know more and be better able to clean-up. Over 80 properties have had to be evacuated across Tynedale and there is a huge amount of debris and mud. It is important to understand that if you have been affected by this flood you are not alone and there is support out there.

 

Home Insurance
If you have this then the guide by the Association for British Insurers provides a step by step process of what to do if you property has been flooded.
This is genuinely very helpful and the details can be found here:


 

Customers who are impacted and hold Home Insurance with RBS or NatWest can call the Home emergency line. This team will provide advice on temporary accommodation, and will also ensure that a claims adviser calls the customer back regarding any claim that the customer needs to make. Affected customers are advised to call their emergency numbers:

RBS - 0800 051 1450

NatWest - 0800 051 5450

Further advice and help can be found here:

Clean up

For immediate help on the ground, you should call Northumberland County Council on: 0345 600 6400
Finally I can confirm that the Bellwin scheme has been initiated so that all local Council costs of the clean up are met by the central government. As always my office are here to help if there is anything we can do.