Commercial flood insurance can be hard to come by, especially in high-risk areas. The United Kingdom is vulnerable to floods because of its many origins. Businesses in the United Kingdom are vulnerable to floods produced by rivers, beaches, and surface waters. Furthermore, things are becoming worse. With more extreme weather events, urban expansion, and climate change taking hold, flooding is becoming a more typical occurrence. This article will take a deeper look at which parts of the country are most vulnerable to flooding that you will need to get flood insurance. Check out online Reviews to get the best insurances policy for your home that covers you from flood losses. If you want the best flood insurance cover, check out the axa landlord insurance review to get the value for your money. Since extensive records began in the 1940s, the United Kingdom has been victim of countless natural disasters. Most floods occur, causing injury and death and billions of dollars in property damage annually. If you live in a flood-prone area, you should get flood insurance. Flood insurance is usually included as part of your building’s insurance in the event of damage to the structure. Personal belongings, on the other hand, are not included. If you want the contents of your home to be covered in the case of a flood, you’ll require contents insurance for your home emergency. Some of the costs that flood insurance can help with include:
- removing obstacles in the path
- Service charges (such as solicitors, architects, and surveyors)
- Other personal belongings that have been ruined or damaged
- alternatives to your current place of residence if you are unable to stay
- After a natural disaster, make repairs and restorations to your property’s fixtures and fittings.
Coastal locations prone to flooding
i. Cornwall
With its location on the Atlantic coast and significant rainfall, Cornwall has had a long history of flooding due to various circumstances. England’s farthest south county is vulnerable to flooding even during the driest months of the year. Things get considerably worse when corporate flood insurance is included. Approximately one in every twelve companies in Cornwall is located inside a 200-year flood zone. Due to its lack of motorways, Cornwall’s infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to flooding. One of Cornwall’s earliest documented floods decimated Polperro Harbour and the nearby town of Looe in 1817, completely wiping them out.
ii. East Coast cities like Hull and Great Yarmouth
Like many places bordering the Atlantic, the North Sea coast is susceptible to floods. Why does this happen? Storm surges may be witnessed along the shoreline due to the strong Easterly winds. These include Hull, the Humber Estuary, and Great Yarmouth, which this has impacted. Due to tidal surges, there has been a long history of flooding in the Humber Estuary. Since at least 1571, the city of Hull has been plagued by flooding. The city’s central business district was devastated by tidal floods twice, in 1953 and 1969. The UK floods of 2007 were the most expensive ever. Hull was not spared the devastation. Due to the flood, approximately 9,000 homes and businesses were damaged, many of which were residential and commercial. Of the 98 school districts affected by flooding, 95 of them had to be evacuated because of the water damage. Norfolk devastated the city when the “Great Flood” of 1953 hit Great Yarmouth. The highest tide ever recorded in the town was observed in 2013. Over 4,500 residents and businesses in the area will be pleased to learn that flood defenses are being upgraded in the area.
iii. South-east England’s counties of Sussex and Kent
In England’s South-East counties, coastal, riverine, and surface water flooding are all possible outcomes. Even more serious consequences can result from the combination of these dangers. When the worst flood in recorded history hit Sussex in 1994, it was the most devastating in the county’s history. The Lavant River burst its banks after receiving a lot of rain. Forty-nine people had to be rescued by boat after road closures in Barnham and Yapton.
At-risk areas for flooding by rivers
a. Somerset
Somerset, like much of the Netherlands, has large areas underwater. Consequently, the region is at risk of flooding from all directions. Tides cause water to surge upriver, causing rivers to burst their banks and flooding nearby land. Somerset’s commercial structures account for 22% of the total area within a floodplain with a 200-year time horizon. If the company is in business for 20 years, this means that one out of 10 of these properties will be flooded at some point. Somerset’s most recognizable landmarks, the Levels and Moors, are no strangers to flooding. In 1703, the waves over the sea barriers and into the river were 1.2 meters tall. In 1799 and 1872, floods were caused by sea wall breaches, demonstrating that flood defenses are frequently overtopped when extreme weather occurs. By 1919, sea and river waters had covered 283 square kilometers of land. Seawater floods can cause far more property damage and agricultural land loss than any other type of floodwater.
b. Essex
Perhaps Essex’s inclusion in this England flood risk list is odd. Essex has one of the lowest annual rainfall totals in the United Kingdom. However, anyone who has been caught in a summer downpour can attest to the possibility of flooding. Just a few of the areas in Essex at risk are Hockley, Canvey, Rayleigh, and Burnham on Crouch. As a result of the recent storm surges, the swollen rivers in Hull and Great Yarmouth are also affecting Essex. As a result of this phenomenon, rivers like the Blackwater, Crouch, and Roach all play a role.
c. Norfolk
Great Yarmouth and Norfolk are both at the mercy of the North Sea. People in the county are profoundly affected by the county’s rivers and broads. The shoreline of nearby waterways (such as the Great Ouse, Burn, Glaven, and Yare rivers) exceeds 3,000 kilometers. When it comes to heavy rains, Norfolk and Somerset are both low-lying areas. There were more than 50 bridges in the county that were either damaged or destroyed, and all transportation routes were temporarily disrupted. Damage or destruction of thousands of homes resulted in significant losses for the government. In 1953, 1978, 2014, and 2020, Norfolk experienced severe flooding.
If your home has been flooded before or if you live in an area at risk of flooding, some insurance companies may refuse to cover you for flood damage. Any flood claims will require you to pay a significant excess, resulting in a substantial increase in your insurance policy’s premiums. When it comes to flood insurance, where you shop can make all the difference between surviving a flood and losing a significant amount of money.