Prepare for the rain and hailstorm season, says Mutual & Federal
As we enter the summer season, Mutual & Federal is reminding its customers to prepare for possible weather-related incidents.
Many will recall the severe hailstorms experienced in 2014 across the Gauteng region, which had insurance providers inundated with claims. Heidi Dias, Lead Head Consultant, Operations at Mutual & Federal, comments, “It is difficult to anticipate when the first real storms of the season will take place, but in the meantime, we recommend that home-owners put in place a few precautions for both hail and thunderstorms. This will help to safeguard people from injury and will also help alleviate damage to people’s belongings.”
Mutual & Federal recommends the following guidelines to plan around possible summer season weather incidents:
- When possible, avoid driving in hailstorms. If this isn’t possible, pull into an undercover facility to limit the amount of hailstorm exposure to your vehicle. Mutual & Federal offers a weather alert service for its clients which is sent via SMS upon subscription to the service. This will help drivers to plan their trips.
- With Gauteng typically experiencing rain during the summer season, road conditions often deteriorate during this time. Mutual & Federal has typically seen an increase in road accidents during the summer months in Johannesburg. When driving in the rain, drivers should increase their following distance by a minimum of a three car length, as well as decrease their driving speed and turn on their vehicle’s headlights.
- Cape Town has historically experienced floods during the fourth quarter of the year. To prevent serious damage should flooding occur, Mutual & Federal suggests that you ensure gutters are cleaned from leaves and other debris and that your roof is in good repair.
- Another common weather-related insurance issue which Mutual & Federal often sees through its claim process is the damage to electronic devices through lightning damage. At the start of a storm, people should unplug as many of their electronic devices as possible such as Wi-Fi routers, cellphone chargers, UPSs and computers.
Dias adds, “We have always been consistent in implementing a contingency plan to deal with the influx of claims during certain high impact periods and will continue to do so. This is done at various customer touch points such as the Mutual & Federal Call Centre, our regional walk-in centres or through our social network channels.”
“We can’t guarantee weather patterns or incidents, but where possible, following some suggested guidelines will go a long way in helping to protect both people and their belongings,” concludes Dias.
Mutual & Federal is a member of the Old Mutual Group and one of the leading short-term insurers in southern Africa. It prides itself on helping customers turn their setbacks into comebacks.
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