FM Global has released a new flood mapping tool, designed to help companies manage one of the costliest commercial property risks. A version of the new map is available for use by businesses and the public at no cost.

The interactive Global Flood Map represents a powerful new strategic planning tool that will assist risk managers in addressing their global natural hazard exposure.

The new mapping tool provides a worldwide view of high- and moderate-hazard flood zones across the globe, even in areas where previously available information was inconsistent or in some cases non-existent, making initial loss-prevention and site-location decisions easier.

“Flood is one of the costliest commercial property risks, and it’s only getting worse with climate change, globalisation and urbanisation,” said Brion Callori, senior vice president and manager, engineering and research at FM Global. “Companies with properties anywhere in the world can now quickly identify the base flood risk for all of their facilities on a globally consistent, apples-to-apples basis, at a resolution of just 90 metres by 90 metres.”

Users can determine whether their business locations reside in a flood zone by typing in physical addresses. The map identifies high hazards (when a location is in a 100-year flood zone, or has a 1% chance a year of experiencing a flood) and moderate hazards (when a location is in a 500-year flood zone, meaning it has a 0.2% chance). The map presents results in two expandable view options – road and aerial (includes buildings).

Among natural disasters, flooding was the costliest overall peril in 2016 for the fourth consecutive year in terms of global economic losses, accounting for US$62bn in losses, according to Aon Benfield’s 2016 Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report.

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