Millions of Homes at Risk as Climate Crisis Fuels Devastating Floods

According to a recent investigation, the climate crisis is set to put millions more homes across England, Scotland, and Wales at risk of devastating floods by the mid-21st century. The insurance industry has sounded the alarm, with bosses warning that large swathes of residential and commercial properties in densely populated areas will face greater flood threats.

Experts have gone so far as to suggest that some towns may need to be abandoned entirely, as homes and businesses struggle to obtain insurance in areas repeatedly battered by storms and rising sea levels. Densely populated regions, including London, Manchester, and parts of northeast England, are expected to be the hardest hit.

The report also highlights the urgent need to update London's flood defenses, with the city's current barriers and embankments deemed inadequate to protect the capital from catastrophic flooding. The former chair of the Environment Agency has warned that the cost of the necessary upgrades may be prohibitive, forcing difficult decisions about which areas can be viably protected.

While the government-industry Flood Re scheme currently provides some protection for at-risk households, this program is set to expire in 2039, by which time climate-driven flooding is projected to be far more severe. Experts warn that insurance will likely become increasingly unaffordable, particularly for lower-income families living in flood-prone areas.