One of the greatest physical climate disasters facing UK households and businesses is flooding. Most UK floods last up to ten days, and the frequency of severe floods in the UK is increasing. Today, preparing for and defending against floods is one of the most pressing environmental concerns on the UK’s agenda.
Flooding in the UK can be broken down into three primary causes. Firstly, there’s heavy rainfall. Storms and periods of heavy rainfall cause rivers and lakes to burst their banks. The water then rushes into surrounding areas, causing additional problems of surface runoff which occurs when soil has taken in too much water and can no longer absorb the excess.
Second, increasing sea level rises. Sea level rises occur for various reasons, but primarily as a result of global warming. As the world heats up, gargantuan glaciers and ice sheets melt which adds water to the ocean, causing levels to rise. Climate research reveals that global average sea levels have risen 8-9 inches since 1880. Thermal expansion is also a contributor to sea level rises. As the world heats up, so too do the oceans, meaning the water within them expands and takes up a larger area within the basin. Storm surges also have an impact on spring high tides. Heavy storms that coincide with high tide can increase the height of a spring high tide by over 1 meter.
Finally, coastal erosion. The motion of wind, waves, and various storms causes the land in coastal areas erode over time. This means that natural flood barriers are eroded away over time, leaving the land behind them more vulnerable to flooding.
The Environment Agency has estimated that, in England and Wales, 185,000 businesses are in an area of flood risk. This number is likely to be higher when considering the increasing frequency of storms and heavy rain causing greater surface runoff. Considering all properties, there are roughly 5.2 million properties in England, roughly one in six properties, at risk of flooding from surface water, rivers, or the sea.
The economic consequences of these floods are dire. The Environment Agency estimated the total economic damages for all floods between January 2016 and November 2019 in England and Wales to sit between £504 million and £924 million.
Furthermore, the frequency and intensity of storms in the UK is ramping up. Between 2022 and 2023, there was just one named storm, and seven named storms between 2021 and 2022. This compares to thirteen named storms between 2023 and 2024. Storms in the UK are very likely to be coupled with flood warnings.
Business response to and management of flood risk can be broken down into three core categories: Prevention, Adaptation, and Recovering.
Prevention covers the steps your business can take to anticipate a flood and put the right processes in place to ensure your business is protected once it occurs.
Start by checking the flood risk in your area, which you can do using the Flood Hub UK website or by checking your postcode with the Environment Agency, and setting up alerts for Met Office flood warnings in your area. This will help you to manage expectations. Finally, have an effective evacuation plan in place, similar to a fire safety system, should the worst occur.
Next consider the systems and technology you can put in place to ensure your business is safe from flooding. A lot of these systems will already be in place and require maintenance checks to ensure they’re working properly, such as gulley and drain cleaning, and clearing of key pathways for water runoff. Technology based solutions include:
Nature-based solutions include:
Adaptation refers to all your business can do to lessen the impacts of a flood should it enter your site or property. Once your area receives a flood warning and your Avoiding measures are in place, the next step is to adapt your business.
First, consider the equipment you have. Expensive and vulnerable equipment should be moved to higher ground. Installing racking on your site to house electrical equipment at higher levels if a flood is expected will lessen the damage. In terms of long-term adaptation, it might be necessary for some businesses to relocate their sockets to higher points on the walls.
Drainage systems should be positioned near the most vulnerable areas of your site, ready to divert water. If your site is at high risk of flooding, installing on-site water pumps to quickly remove large quantities of water may be necessary.
Recovery is everything your business can do post-flood, whether you’ve suffered damages or not.
First off, there’s insurance. If you’re in a high-risk flood area, assessing your insurance options to protect against the cost of flood damage is essential. Stock taking is a key part of this, so having a clear understanding of your business’ products and assets and which of these may be susceptible to flooding will help you select the right insurance plan.
Finally, communicating with your value chain. Customers will still be expecting delivery of your product or service, so having back-up systems in place to ensure smooth delivery in the event of a flood could help put your business a cut above the rest. This might involve tapping into third party logistics to continue your service. Key things to consider:
With your Prevention, Adaptation, and Recovery measures in place, your business can build effective flood resilience. Here are some useful sites and contact numbers to have on standby in the event of a flood warning:
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Sustainability Business Advisor
Alasdair provides resource efficiency and environmental risk support to businesses, helping them to identify and implement low carbon solutions. As well as a Master’s degree in clean technology, Alasdair has two decades' experience in the environmental field. He is an ESOS Lead Assessor, a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, an Associate Member of IEMA and an IEMA Associate Environmental Auditor.
