The UK Environment Agency has launched Flood Action, a campaign to encourage businesses to understand flood risks.
There are around 260,000 UK business units employing 3.2 million people located in flood risk areas and flooding is set to become more common as the climate changes. A recent survey carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses revealed that two thirds of small businesses had been affected by severe weather such as flooding in the past three years. 75 percent of businesses surveyed did not have a plan in place to deal with these incidents.
The Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Support Service is calling for organizations to limit the disruption that might be caused to their businesses. Charlie Corbishley, Climate Ready Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “All businesses would benefit from having a business continuity plan in place which includes severe weather. If your business is resilient to a changing climate it will be more attractive to investors. The Climate Ready Support Service is supporting businesses to identify their risks and take action to manage them.”
In 2013-14, the wettest winter on record saw 3,200 commercial properties flooded and 7,700 homes flooded. The costs to businesses are still being counted from these floods but is estimated to run into tens of thousands of pounds for each business flooded.
There are simple steps you can take to help protect your business from flooding and to get ready for a changing climate:
- Use the Environment Agency’s maps to find out if you’re at risk from flooding.
- Sign up for free flood warnings for your area.
- Create a flood plan.
