Over the weekend, Storm Bert caused significant disruption in Dorset and Somerset. The storm brought heavy rain and winds up to 60mph, leading to flooding, power outages and falling trees.
We have received several calls relating to storm damage and we’re working our way through these as soon as possible. If you’ve had any damage to your home over the weekend and haven’t yet reported yet, please let us know by reporting it here.
As we move into winter, weather conditions such as the snowfall last week, and the storm over the weekend, can cause damage to your home and neighbourhood. We have put together some information below about who to report issues to and how we manage repairs.
Storm damage:
- Fencing is often damaged in storms. If your fence gets damaged or blown over, report it to us straight away, particularly if it’s gone onto a public right of way. We will attend to make the fence safe, but it will not be replaced immediately.
- Roof tiles can also be affected in storms. Please report any loose tiles to us as soon as possible.
- Fallen trees depend on where they are. Any fallen trees on roads or pavements should be reported to the council. Any in communal areas owned by Magna, please report to us. If the tree is within your garden, it is your responsibility, however if it has caused damage to your home, please report it to us.
- If you experience power cuts, or a complete loss of electric, contact your energy supplier by calling 105.
Flooding:
- If your home is flooded, let us know immediately.
- If you notice blocked road drains or gullies, which is causing flooding in your neighbourhood, please report it to the council using the links on this page.
- If you need sandbags, we do have a limited amount that we can supply, but Dorset and Somerset councils can also provide them. Click here for more info.
Snow:
- We provide grit bins at all sheltered schemes and keep these topped up regularly. You are welcome to use this to grit paths around your home. We don’t routinely grit paths or roads ourselves, however, if you feel there is a problem where you live or your grit bin is empty, please let us know.
- Travel is often disrupted and this may mean that our trades operatives and other colleagues aren’t able to get to you for an appointment. If an appointment needs to be cancelled or rearranged, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
How we prioritise repairs:
We prioritise our repairs using two categories; priority repairs which are emergencies, and routine repairs. Storm and flood damage affecting your home will be treated as emergency repairs, however, fencing is not treated as an emergency unless it has affected a public right of way. For fencing issues, we will ensure that any damage caused is made safe, but we will not replace the fencing immediately. Due to the amount of fencing repairs we currently have, there will be a delay for replacement fencing to be installed.
When attending to an emergency repair, our aim is always to make the damaged part of your home safe, but we may have to come back at a later date to finish the repair fully. For more information on what we class as a priority or routine repair, click here.