AUGUST IN Scotland has been a washout. Weeks of heavy rainfall left homeowners from Fife to Lanarkshire mopping up after floodwater entered their homes. In the course of this week, just about every region in Scotland has been the subject of a weather or flood alert issued by either the Met Office or the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

A spokeswoman for insurer Norwich Union told the Sunday Herald: "We are keeping a very close eye on the weather across Scotland - as we do whenever bad conditions are forecast. We have a major incident plan ready if the worst happens, and of course staff in our call centres, claims experts and loss adjusters are always on standby."

Rival insurer Direct Line said it had calls to its claims line from homeowners in the G76 postcode area of Lanarkshire this week, but that the calls to date had been for relatively small amounts of damage.

Insurers typically gear up call centre staffing levels when bad weather is expected, and bring in extra assessors when damage occurs. Last summer, NFU Mutual was able to make immediate payments of £500 each to customers who were flooded out of their homes so that they could buy essentials.

NFU Mutual's total clean-up and repair bill for last summer was £100 million on 13,000 claims. According to the Association of British Insurers, the average domestic repair bill for last summer was £52,000.

Of course, not all of those affected in the past month in Scotland will be able to have their insurance company pick up the bill for the damage, simply because they did not have insurance. Research by GfK NOP for Sainsbury's Bank found that 4.7 million UK adults had no home contents insurance.

Damage to the fabric of a property is covered under building policies, but a home contents policy is needed to claim for the cost of replacing possessions. This means that even those living in rented accommodation could find themselves uninsured, because while their landlord's insurance will pay to repair and dry out the building, it will not replace their water-ruined possessions.

Homeowners living in flood-affected areas can help reduce the level of damage to their property according to Direct Line. It advises making sure gutters and drains are checked regularly to ensure they are not blocked and that rainwater can drain away properly.

The insurer also recommends making up a "flood emergency box", which would include a torch and portable radio with spare batteries, warm clothing, blankets, rubber boots, gloves, cleaning equipment, disinfectant and detergent, heavy duty refuse bags, a first aid kit together with any essential medication.

It is also important to make sure insurance documents are kept in a waterproof bag and where possible in an upstairs room. Remember too that flooding does not always occur within office hours, so make sure you have a 24-hour emergency number for your insurer.

If a warning is issued, local councils will protect vulnerable homes with sandbags. There is nothing to stop homeowners buying their own sandbags - look for the BSI Kitemark - from DIY stores or builders' merchants and protecting their own properties. It is also wise to move as many possessions as possible to upper floors.

Should the worst happen and you have to evacuate, turn off gas and electricity if you can before you leave.

Both Norwich Union and Direct Line are adamant that once homeowners get back into their properties they should not throw anything out until a claims assessor says they can.

Norwich Union also advises that if floorboards and carpets have to be ripped up and replaced, it is worth considering replacing them with more flood-resistant alternatives. The company recommends the website www.floodresilienthome.com.

Taking photos or even filming the damage is a sensible precaution in case a claim is disputed, as it will make it much easier to determine who is right.

The thing which, according to Direct Line, most often catches homeowners unaware is just exactly how long it can take a property to dry out.

Research by the Scottish government found that 45% of homeowners whose property was damaged by flooding took over six months to get back into their homes, while some of those flooded out last year in England are still not back in the properties a year on.

After last year's devastating floods in England, the Association of British Insurers warned the Westminster government that if it did not bring flood defences up to scratch, insurers would have to seriously consider withdrawing cover for flooding from homeowners in prone areas.

Although Westminster did last month announce a £5 million package to tackle the problem, research earlier this year by AA Insurance found that the average home insurance policies of those affected by last summer's floods had doubled.

Fortunately for Scots, a multi-million pound flood protection programme has been under way in Scotland for several years. The latest phase of this programme is the £1m early warning system for the Dee, Don, Deveron and North Esk rivers.

Once it is completed in 2010 the system will give homeowners in Aberdeen, Inverurie and Huntly some three hours' warning that one of the monitored rivers was about to burst its banks.

Homeowners who live in flood-affected areas which have had their flood defences upgraded should make sure they let their insurer know, as it could lead to a reduction in their home insurance premiums.

A map listing all areas which have had their defences upgraded can be found at www.sepa.org.uk.