UK 'ill-prepared' for floods with four out of five people unaware of what to do, says British Red Cross

The UK is "ill-prepared" to respond to floods, the British Red Cross has warned.

It comes ahead of fresh warnings surface water flooding will become more common this winter and in early 2023.

In a new report, the charity estimates three in four people do not have an adequate understanding of their area's flood risk, with four in five people unaware of what to do if it occurs.

Chris Davies, head of crisis response at the British Red Cross, told Sky News: "In every corner of the United Kingdom more of us are going to be impacted by flooding.

"As our summers get hotter, our winters become wetter, we will experience more rainfall, and we are all more likely to experience flooding".

In July 2021, major flooding in London affected 1,500 properties and hit hospitals and public transport infrastructure.

Piri Ramazanoglu's home in Ealing, west London, had been one of the homes affected. He told Sky News: "My family arrived back home after my two boys had a cricket match, and we discovered two inches of water in the house, which slowly became more and more.

"From the front light-well, the garden, the sinks, toilet and showers, sewage water was filling our property up until it was knee-high.

"We soon realised this was the same as hundreds of properties around us too. It was very scary".

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Piri's son, Raphael, suffers from severe allergies and the effects of being exposed to the sewage water in their home was almost life-threatening.

Piri added: "Two days after the floods my son was lethargic and struggling to breath and was rushed to hospital where he was put on oxygen. They told us his respiratory system had been contaminated by the sewage."

Following the flooding, Piri's family stayed in several hotels as renovation and repair work was under way at their home. Construction work began in April this year, nine months after the flooding.

Piri added: "We were incredibly lucky because the insurance company paid for our temporary accommodation and repairs, but that's not possible for everyone

"There's a lot of responsibility on the individual to deal with what happens to their home because of flooding.

"I think instead there needs to be better accountability and action from the water companies, council and government. There were thousands of people's lives at stake".

There have been fresh calls for the UK government to invest in infrastructure that tackles the effects of turbulent weather, preventing surface water flooding where possible.

Stricter controls

Last week, a report from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) warned the number of homes and properties in England at risk of surface water flooding could double in the next 30 years.

This is unless £12bn is invested in drainage systems and stricter controls on new property developments.

The commission said increased drainage capacity and less reliance on existing drainage systems is needed to cope with heavier rainfall, but more sustainable options should be considered before digging more pipes and sewers.

The commission's suggestion of £12bn investment includes lower cost, above-ground measures, such as grassy channels, rain gardens and ponds, which are more sustainable drainage solutions that benefit wildlife.

A government spokesperson said: "We are tackling surface water flooding through our £5.2bn flood defence programme, with over 30% of 2,000 new flood defences, including sustainable drainage systems, set to improve surface water management.

"We will closely consider the findings of the NIC's reports ahead of publishing our response in 2023."

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