Homeowners and businesses are being urged to prepare for winter storms after Storm Arwen

During Storm Arwen’s 100mph winds, more than a million homes lost power and thousands of trees were uprooted across the UK.

In Northumberland, communities were left without power for several days and areas of the environment were destroyed.

Simon Gray, who farms at Berwick-upon-Tweed, suffered extensive damage to his mixed arable and sheep farm as a result of the storm – including the loss of nearly £50,000 worth of machinery and equipment after a shed collapsed and crushed them.

A roof on a shed containing fertiliser was also ripped off, along with other damage to the property such as fallen trees.

Simon said: “It’s difficult to quantify the damage caused by Storm Arwen because we are still finding things to fix as a result of it a year later.

“Your insurance is there to protect your business against catastrophic events such as this and having our claim settled through H&H Insurance Brokers by January made a big difference.

“It meant we could continue operating the business while getting on with most of the repairs and clean up ourselves.”

On the first anniversary of Storm Arwen, Stuart Torrance from H&H Insurance Brokers, said staying safe, being alert and getting prepared should be top priorities for people ahead of winter storms.

Stuart said: “Storm Arwen was one of the most powerful and damaging storms of the last decade.

“Ultimately, when a storm hits, the most important thing is to stay safe – but you can take precautions ahead of time to reduce the potential damage to your home or business.

“This can include keeping on top of maintenance such as securing any loose fence panels or gates and removing loose or overhanging branches on your property.

“If there’s a storm on its way, then make sure you’ve secured any garden furniture, trampolines or anything else which could be blown away, and park vehicles in a safe space, either in a garage or building, and away from fences, trees and walls which could fall on them.”