Building homes back better after floods
With the Environment Agency warning one in four homes is now at risk of flooding, the latest Insurance Post Podcast explores what the insurance industry is doing to make properties more resilient from storms.
Kelly Ostler-Coyle, director of corporate affairs at Flood Re, kicked off the podcast by outlining the scale of the flood threat in the UK today and why her organisation was created after 2007’s storms massively pushed up excesses for homes in at-risk areas.
David Fowkes, head of household underwriting at Admiral, then outlined the changing nature of flooding, how many more properties are now at risk of damage from surface water flooding, and ways to affordably adapt homes and gardens to improve resilience.
Megan Dunford, London claims manager at Zurich, shared that her company feels resilience should be an expectation rather than an exception.
Dunford stressed engaging with the customer early on when their home is impacted by flooding, to educate them about the need for property resilience measures, is key to more people adapting their homes.
Alex Wyard, chief underwriter at Allianz, addressed the need to engage with the government, local planning authorities and developers to influence building standards and ensure sustainable drainage solutions are implemented.
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