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Almost 140 flood warnings, alerts still in effect after major Atlantic storm hits U.K.

October 28, 2013   by Canadian Underwriter


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A total of 139 flood warnings or alerts remained in place Monday morning in the United Kingdom as a major Atlantic storm, bringing with it strong winds and rainfall, continued to make its way through the U.K.

There were a total of 12 warnings – flooding is expected and immediate action is required – still in place, notes an information graphic from the Environment Agency, an executive non-departmental public body responsible to the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Of that total, two warning are in Anglian, one in Midlands and nine in the Southwest.

With regard to alerts – flooding is possible and people should be prepared – there were 127 still in effect, with the largest numbers being in Midlands, 42; Southwest, 33; and Southeast, 26.

There were no severe flood warnings – severe flooding, danger to life – in effect as of Monday morning.

Most likely tack Sunday issueThe agency reports that the U.K.’s National Weather Service, the Met Office, noted Monday that heavy rain had cleared the east coast, but parts of southwest, southern and central England are at increased risk of flooding from rivers. “Large waves and strong winds may continue to cause some minor coastal flooding along the south coast,” notes a statement from the Environment Agency.

Agency teams had been deployed over the weekend and were continuing work Monday to minimize river flood risk.

As of Oct. 28, the three-day flood risk forecast was that heavy rainfall and strong winds were expected to continue to clear eastwards on Monday morning, followed by heavy and blustery showers from the west.

The forecast noted a low river flood risk on Monday in certain counties, as rivers continue to respond to earlier rainfall. Typical flooding impacts may include localized flooding of land and roads, as well as localized travel disruption.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings on Sunday for potential disruption from both strong winds and rainfall in advance of the Atlantic storm expected to be felt most strongly in parts of England and Wales.

Storm timesAt the time, the office anticipated gusts of 60 mph to 70 mph in southern parts of England and Wales, with gusts of 80 mph or more in places, particularly around southern and southwestern coasts. Heavy rain will accompany the storm, with a chance of some localized surface water flooding, the statement added.

“This weather system is typical of what we expect to see in winter, but as it’s coming in during autumn – when trees are in leaf – and while the ground is fairly saturated, it does pose some risks,” Martin Young, chief forecaster at the Met Office, says in the statement. “We could see some uprooted trees or other damage from the winds and there’s a chance of some surface water flooding from the rainfall – all of which could lead to some disruption,” Young continued.

The Met Office advises that seafronts, quaysides and jetties should be avoided as a result of the risk of overtopping by waves and wind blown shingle.

“Insurers understand the devastation that weather like this causes and their first priority will be to work as quickly as possible to deal with claims and help customers recover,” says Aidan Kerr, head of property at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which has more than 300 members that together account for about 90% of premiums in the U.K. domestic market.

In a Q&A released Monday, the ABI noted it is too early to put an estimate on how much insurers think this storm will cost. “We cannot predict what the damage will be in advance,” the information notes.

“We do not expect any changes to premiums across the board as a result of this storm. Property insurance premiums are not usually impacted by one event, but rather on the cost of a range of many different factors,” the ABI reports.

Last year was the wettest year on record for England and Wales, and the second wettest in the U.K. In February, the ABI reported just shy of £1.19 billion in costs flowing from approximately 486,000 flood and storm damage claims that member insurers handled from homeowners, businesses and motorists in 2012.

The ABI noted that the average claim payout for flood-damaged properties – domestic and commercial – was £18,200 and, with respect to storm damage, £1,300. Flood and storm damage claims in 2012 represented the highest annual figure since the £3 billion paid out in 2007, the association added.

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