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The UK is “ill-prepared” to respond to floods, the British Red Cross has warned. British households are unprepared
It comes ahead of fresh surface water warnings the flood will become more common this winter and into early 2023.
In a new report, the charity estimates that three out of four people do not have an adequate understanding of flood risk in their area, and four out of five people do not know what to do if it happens.
Chris Davies, head of crisis response at the British Red Cross, told Sky News: “In every corner of the UK, more of us will be affected by the floods.
“As our summers get warmer, our winters wetter, we will have more rainfall and the more likely we will experience flooding.”
In July 2021, severe flooding in London affected 1,500 properties and affected hospitals and public transport infrastructure.
Piri Ramazanoglu’s home in Ealing, west London, was one of the homes affected. He told Sky News: “My family came home after my two boys had a cricket match, and we found two inches of water in the house, which was slowly building up.
“From the front light well, the garden, sinks, toilets and showers, sewage filled our property up to our knees.
“We soon realized that this was the same as hundreds of properties around us. It was very scary.”
More details:
Houses, streets and stations under water as storms batter parts of Britain
Temperatures will drop below -8C and heavy snow for Scotland as the cold snap arrives
Pira’s son, Rafael, suffers from severe allergies, and the consequences of exposure to sewage water in their home were almost life-threatening.
Pirie added: “Two days after the floods my son was lethargic and had difficulty breathing and was rushed to hospital where he was put on oxygen. We were told his respiratory system was contaminated with sewage.”
After the flood, Piri’s family stayed in several hotels while their home underwent renovations and repairs. Construction work began in April this year, nine months after the floods.
Pirie added: “We were incredibly lucky because the insurance company paid for our temporary accommodation and repairs, but that’s not possible for everyone
“An individual has a lot of responsibility to deal with what happens to their home due to flooding.”
“I think instead there needs to be better accountability and action from water companies, councils and government.” The lives of thousands of people were at stake.”
There have been fresh calls for the UK government to invest in infrastructure to combat the effects of turbulent weather, preventing surface water flooding where possible.
Tighter controls
A report by the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) warned last week. the number of homes and properties in England at risk of surface water flooding could double in the next 30 years.
This is unless £12bn is invested in drainage systems and tighter controls on new property development.
The commission said increased drainage capacity and less reliance on existing drainage systems was needed to cope with higher rainfall, but more sustainable options should be considered before digging more pipes and sewers.
The Commission’s £12 billion investment proposal includes lower-cost, above-ground measures such as grass channels, rain gardens and ponds, which are more sustainable drainage solutions that benefit wildlife.
A government spokesman said: “We are tackling surface water flooding through our £5.2 billion flood defenses programme, with over 30% of 2,000 new flood defences, including sustainable drainage systems, which will improve surface water management.
“We will carefully consider the findings of the NIC report before publishing our response in 2023.
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