Businesses are increasingly worried about the risk of flooding but are ‘lacking the confidence, skills and impetus’ to be able to effectively manage the threat, according to a new report from Previsico in partnership with AIRMIC.

The report found that 87% of businesses are concerned about surface water flooding and 76% of people believe that they will be impacted by flooding in the future. Despite this, 69% admit that they do not have a flood plan in place.

The State of Flood Resilience report features insights drawn from key leaders and professionals working in the space, including insurers and the insured in the UK. Respondents included many from the construction, social housing and real estate sectors. The questions asked covered three key stages: understanding the impacts of flood; confidence levels and preparedness for flood; and how businesses are tackling flood.

Jonathan Jackson, CEO of Previsico, said: “Flooding is no longer a distant possibility – it is a present and growing reality. With extreme weather events accelerating, it’s critical that we recognise, adapt, and prepare for the impacts of flooding. This report shows that while awareness is rising, meaningful action is lagging behind. We must close the gap between knowledge and resilience.”

Julia Graham, CEO, Airmic, added: “The insurance industry is beginning to adjust to future challenges, ranging from physical risks like climate change to embracing new systems like parametric insurance. However, as this report points out, there’s still more to be done to become more resilient and proactive for both the insurers and the insured.”

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