14 October 2005
Some five million householders in England and Wales are at risk of flooding - and as many as 41% of them are unaware of the dangers, the Environment Agency has warned.
Launching a campaign to persuade people to prepare for the worst, the agency observed that the devastating floods of autumn 2000 damaged 10,000 properties and cost more than £1.3bn.
Chief executive Barbara Young said: 'There's a tendency for people to think “it'll never happen to me”. The fact is, it could, we just don't know when. People in this country cannot afford to be complacent about flood risk.'
As the agency launched its campaign on October 12, torrential rain caused chaos in Cumbria, Wales and southern Scotland.
The Scottish Borders suffered most heavily with up to a month's worth of rain falling in Eskdalemuir in 24 hours. In the Teviot valley, the most serious of 15 flood alerts warned of 'serious risk to life and property.'
In West Wales, there were 120 reports of flooding in Pembrokeshire alone, with many roads impassable. In Haverfordwest, floodwater rose up to 45cm in parts of the town centre.
North Wales also suffered flooding across a large area, and severe floods hit some parts of Cumbria, including Carlisle, which was devastated by heavy rain ten months ago.
Environment Agency research revealed that 34% of people in flood risk areas did not know if their buildings and contents insurance covered flood damage and only 7% knew how to receive flood warnings.
Young said: 'While we can reduce the effects of floods through awareness, education and investment in flood defences, we can never prevent them. That's why we're urging people to try to reduce the massive financial and emotional costs.'
PFoct2005
