Ecclesiastical Insurance is encouraging all its customers to prepare for flooding risks as the MET Office continues to forecast thunderstorms across the UK this week.
“Flash flooding can happen miles away from established watercourses and can occur where there is no history of previous flooding problems. This makes it hard to predict and it can happen very quickly,” said Ecclesiastical Insurance risk management director Jo Whyman.
Whyman also warned that, in some cases, existing drains have not been upgraded or maintained enough to adapt to new building developments, which means certain local sewage systems cannot deal with increased volumes of water run-off.
“The current dry ground conditions will add further pressure to drainage systems with lower rates of absorption driving more water into drains,” the director pointed out.
According to Ecclesiastical, many areas across the UK had declared drought for the first time since 2018 following a second lengthy spell of severe hot weather. The heatwave has dried out the ground so much, that the insurer warned that the hard earth would struggle to absorb rainwater, raising the risk of flash floods.
“We are urging customers to review the risk of flood to their properties and consider ways to manage the risk should the worst happen,” said Whyman. “Where possible they should check drainage systems to make sure they are clear of any blockages and consider what flood barriers could be used to prevent water getting into the property.”
