29 April 2026
Living in a flood-risk area - what you need to know
3 minutes
Around 1 in 6 homes in England are at risk of flooding – and according to the Environment Agency, as our climate gets warmer and wetter, those numbers are set to increase. Plus, with the pressing need for more housing leading to more building on floodplains, it’s only natural to expect more houses to be at risk of flooding in the years to come.
Whether you already live in an area prone to flooding, or you’re contemplating a move to a home near water, how can you protect your property from the impact of flooding? Here we take a look at everything you need to know, from flood resistance and resilience measures to finding the right home insurance.
How safe is living in a flood risk area?
Many people love to live near water, whether by the coast or near a river – which is why there are plenty of people living in locations at risk of flooding. To make the level of risk clear to residents, the Environment Agency uses the following criteria:
- Flood Zone 1 – low likelihood of flooding, with less than 1 in 1,000 chance every year
- Flood Zone 2 – medium likelihood, with 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 chance of river flooding per year; or between a 1 in 200 and 1 in 1,000 chance of sea flooding
- Flood Zone 3a – high likelihood, with a 1 in 100 or more probability of river flooding; or a 1 in 200 or more probability of sea flooding every year
- Flood Zone 3b – these areas are known as the ‘Functional Floodplain’, where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood
It’s important to be aware of which zone you home falls under and the according level of risk, so you can make a proper contingency plan – from protecting your property as best you can to ensuring you have comprehensive home insurance so you can claim in the event you’re flooded.
How can you reduce the impact of flooding?
Whilst you can never completely eliminate the risk of flooding, you can take steps to reduce the risk of water getting into your property and minimise the damage if it does make it over the threshold.
These methods are known as ‘flood resistance’ and ‘flood resilience’, and making sure you implement them can help you both manage the risk of your property being damaged and help to lower your insurance premium.
What is flood resistance?Flood resistance refers to the measures you can take to reduce the risk of water getting into a property. By implementing these, you can give yourself enough time to move your belongings up from ground level and get the people living in the home to a place of safety in the event of a flood. Flood resistance measures include:
In addition to this, keeping your property well-maintained is essential. For example, making sure the pointing is in good condition above and below ground, and making sure all entry points are sealed, including cable entries through walls. This will give you the best chance of holding back any water from entering during a flood. |
What is flood resilience?Sometimes, it’s just not possible to stop water entering your property. Flood resilience is all about minimising the damage as much as you can if water does get in. By having robust protection measures in place, the idea is that you can get back to normal as quickly as possible once the flood has subsided. Flood resilience measures are usually tailored to your property. Some historic and/or listed properties, for example, will need specialist measures compared to more modern buildings as they are often constructed from non-standard materials. For more modern houses, flood resilience includes:
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Finding home insurance in flood-risk areas
The risk of flooding in your area will inevitably have an impact on your home insurance – you may find it challenging and more expensive to find a buildings and contents policy.
At Howden, we can help arrange home insurance that reflects your individual circumstances, including the flood risk associated with your property and any preventative or resilience measures you’ve put in place.
Installing measures such as raised electrics or water resistant materials may be viewed positively by insurers and can increase the options available to you, including policies that provide flood cover. We work with a wide panel of insurers, some of whom have access to Flood Re — a government backed reinsurance scheme designed to help eligible properties in higher risk flood areas access home insurance. Availability of cover is subject to the scheme’s criteria and individual underwriting assessment.
As an insurance broker, we will assess the market on your behalf and discuss suitable options based on your circumstances.
To speak to us about your home insurance, call 020 8256 4901 or email privateclients@howdeninsurance.co.uk