What to do if a flood strikes
11/11/2024
Did you know that the yearly damage from floods in the UK is estimated at £1.1 billion? And our own Commercial Claims data has shown that the average cost associated with a flood-related claim is £98,178.
At Zurich, we believe in pre-emptive action – reducing flood risk before an event happens for long-term resilience. However, the weather is anything but predictable so as flooding events become more frequent and severe, it is important to know how best to recover following a flood.
Here's five ways you can keep safe when you get that flood alert:
1. Stay up to date
Make sure you're signed up to flood alerts and keep an eye on local news and weather updates. Don't forget to tell your family, friends and neighbours what's going on.
2. Have your kit ready
Having an emergency kit and contact numbers to hand is important to save you time if a flood does strike. Items such as a torch, water bottle, spare clothes, charger, and medicine will all come in handy. Make sure you have a camera too to take pictures of damage.
3. Stop water coming in where it shouldn't
Water can get into your property through various ways - doors, window, vents. It's important to block water coming into the property by putting plugs in sinks and drains, and installing toilet non-return valves to stop sewage from backing up.
4. Turn off utilities
Make sure to turn off your electricity, gas and water.
5. Move your belongings to higher ground
Put as many as your belongings, including yourself and any pets, up high to keep them safe, but make sure you have a way to escape. Don’t drive or walk through flood water as it’s deeper and stronger than you may think. And don’t forget to secure anything that can’t be moved - you don’t want your fridge floating around and causing more damage.
We're here to help if the worst does happen. Floods can take a toll on your mental health as well as the physical impacts. If you're feeling overwhelmed, our professional counselling service can help make sense of it all. We can also help you build back better and stronger so you're more flood ready in the future.
If you want to find out more, click here to download our interactive flood guide.
Our flood guide was created with experts from Zurich Resilience Solutions. Find out more about their Climate Resilience Team and how to contact them by clicking here.
