What the UK flood risk data tell us
Data has been collected by FloodFlash from the Ordnance Survey, JBA, and the Environment Agency, and can be used by clubs to understand the threat that flooding poses. The data, taken over a 25 years of flooding, notes flood insurance trends over the years as well as the risk currently posing clubs.
How likely are commercial properties to flood?
- In Britain, there are around 1.6 million commercial properties
- 27% of these have at least a low flood risk
- The chance of a property in this bracket experiencing a flood is 1 in 50
18.1% of commercial properties have a moderate flood risk. Moderate risk of flooding means a property has a 1 in 10 risk of flooding over a 20 year period.
14.4% have a significant flood risk. Significant risk means a flood will happen at least once in a 75 year period, and that the property has a 1 in 3 risk of flooding over a 25 year period.
Where does the flood risk come from?
Surface water flooding is now the biggest flood threat to commercial property in Britain. It occurs when the volume of rainfall exceeds the capacity of drains and surface water sewers and is unable to drain away through drainage systems or soak into the land, and instead flows over the land. Many believe serious flooding is caused by overflowing rivers or storm surges, however this is not the case. Many operators who are based in areas away from rivers or coastlines believe they are not at risk of flooding. However, with increasing development, surface water flooding is now the biggest flood threat to commercial property in Britain.
- 346,719 properties are at risk of surface water flooding
- 144,789 are at risk of river flooding
- 31,236 at risk from coastal flooding
Questions clubs may have about specific flood insurance policies:
Is flood insurance available for sports and social clubs?
Yes, flood insurance that is appropriate for your club is available through certain insurers known to your dedicated insurance broker.
Increased uncertainty around flood risks is causing many traditional insurers to exclude flood or impose excesses and limits even when there have been no floods in recent history.
At Club Insure, we know the severity a flood can pose, we know how to properly assess the risk, and we know how to negotiate the best results for clubs.
Is there flood technology that can help reduce the risk for commercial businesses?
Technology can help improve the speed and simplicity of resolving a flood insurance claim. Clubs should be open to the idea of implementing technology in their property to help defend their clubs and reduce costs.
Technology, such as Floodflash’s smart sensor, offers rapid claims and affordable premiums. It measures water depth at the property, providing crucial data to the client and insurers.
How bad for a club is a flood?
Floods which affect property can be catastrophic for clubs, as well as most properties. Clean up and repair are only a partial impact when considering the effects of flooding. Clubs will experienced prolonged business interruption upon a flood occurring. Flooding to the grounds or pitches is much more common and can severely affect a club’s business, however flooding to the property can put the club out of commission for months.
Yet, this impact of business interruption is often excluded in insurance policies. Clubs should use a broker to ensure business interruption is taken into account.
A shocking statistic by Business in the Community, 40% of UK businesses close after a flooding.
Flooding Case Study: Tadcaster Medical Centre
by FloodFlash
400 properties flooded across the country during Storm Franklin. One of these was Tadcaster Medical Centre on the outskirts of York. It is the only GP surgery in Tadcaster, and it serves many elderly patients in the area.
When Tadcaster flooded in 2000 and 2012, the medical centre avoided any damage. However, prolonged rainfall and rapidly rising rivers led to the surgery flooding on Boxing Day in 2015. As the only surgery in the area, refurbishment and repair took place in stages, taking nearly a year to complete. After the flood, they struggled to get affordable cover from traditional insurers. Many excluded flood completely, whilst others imposed 6-figure excesses.
FloodFlash were able to provide a solution for the medical centre. The centre’s flood resilience measures allowed them to choose higher trigger depths. They used the knowledge from their claim in 2015 to set an appropriate payout value at each trigger depth.
When Storm Franklin hit Tadcaster, the medical centre received a payout within days. As well as removing the stress of the claim process, most importantly, the centre was able to return to providing care to their patients as quickly as possible.
“It gave us confidence when we saw the waters rising, that even if it was only a little bit of work we needed to do, we would have the money to do it.”
– Sarah, Practice Manager, Tadcaster Medical Centre
How to arrange a flood insurance policy for my club?
Clubs can learn from this case study, seeing how effective and useful FloodFlash technology is in critical flood situations and for speeding up the claims procedure.
Contact Club Insure to learn more about flood protection and comprehensive commercial flood insurance.
