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Experts Warn: Relocation of Flood-Prone Communities Inevitable in Coming Decade
16 Nov
Summary
- Severe flooding events in Wales, Cornwall, and Cumbria in recent weeks
- Warnings that 8 million UK properties could be at risk of flooding by 2050
- Experts say some towns may have to be abandoned due to unaffordable flood insurance
In the past few weeks, the UK has been hit by severe flooding events, with the Welsh border town of Monmouth and parts of Cornwall particularly hard-hit. These incidents, driven by the storm named Claudia, have made national headlines, but experts warn that such local and regional floods are now becoming too common to attract widespread attention.
Flooding is set to become an even greater challenge in the coming years. A recent report by insurance giant Aviva found that over the past 10 years, one in 13 new homes have been built in the highest-risk flood zones, and that by 2050, the number of properties at risk from flooding could rise by 25% to 8 million. This has led to warnings that some towns may have to be abandoned, as the local civic buildings in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, are now uninsurable due to repeated flooding in the past six years.
