UK flood victims fear further damage

Nearly half of UK flood victims fear their property will be at risk again from flooding, according to new research.

And even though a third of flood victims think the threat of flooding is increasing, 80 per cent of all homeowners said they would not consider taking practical action to protect their homes from potential damage.

The Flood Resilience Research report by Norwich Union found that 40 per cent of flood victims found disruption to family life the most difficult aspect of their experience, followed by loss of property and possessions (27 per cent).

John Wickham, senior claims manager, Norwich Union commented: "Nearly a fifth of those we spoke to said it took them between three and six months to get back into their homes after a flood, whilst over a quarter took nearly three months.

"If flood resilient measures had been in place, this time could have been halved."

More than two thirds (69 per cent) of those affected have not taken any action to protect their homes from future flooding, while 52 per cent restore their homes exactly as they were before.

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