The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has estimated that insured losses from a series of storms that hit the UK in December 2015 will reach £1.3bn.
The storms named, Desmond, Eva and Frank – hit the UK over the Christmas period, resulting in a series of devastating floods.
The damage led to over 15,000 insurance claims being made for flooded homes and businesses, with 85% of those at least partly paid out so far, the ABI said.
Of the total bill, about £27.5m was spent on alternative accommodation for affected families and their properties are repaired.
The ABI claims that the average insurance claim in the floods was about £50,000 which is higher than usual.
ABI general insurance policy manager Mark Shepherd said: "Being flooded is horribly traumatic, not only because of the initial devastation but also because of the time it can take to get your home and business fully repaired and back in working order.
"Insurers are committed to getting all customers back in their properties as safely and as quickly as possible and it’s good to know that thousands of homes and businesses are getting back to normal nearly six months on.
"Small businesses are the lifeblood of many local economies and insurers have been working flat out to get many open and trading again."
The ABI advised businesses to consult specialist brokers and know about the damages caused by floods, so that they can make their properties more resilient to floods.
It has also urged the government to make investments in long-term flood risk management of high risk areas in order to better protect them from any floods in the future.
It also said that it will negotiate with government to invest in effective flood management to reduce the risk of floods across the UK.
Image: People being rescued by relief workers during the December floods. Photo: Courtesy of Association of British Insurers.