Autumn seasonal risk guidance

Flooding remains one of the most significant risks facing UK businesses, with damage caused by rivers, coastal flooding, surface water, drainage systems, groundwater or overwhelmed sewer systems.

With around 6.3 million properties¹ in England in areas at risk of flooding and an average flood claim cost of £99,426², the threat is widespread.

By understanding your flood risk and putting practical resilience measures in place, you can help minimise damage, reduce disruption and support a faster recovery when severe weather strikes.

Super El Niño – be prepared, not panicked

You may have seen headlines about a potential "Super El Niño" and the threat of more extreme weather. While the exact impact on the UK remains uncertain, forecasters suggest it could increase the likelihood of wetter, more unsettled conditions, including heavier rainfall, stronger winds and a heightened flood risk.

This weather warning serves as an ideal opportunity for businesses to review their risk management practices for severe weather. Key considerations should include resilience of buildings and drainage systems, protection of stock and critical records, emergency response arrangements and recovery plans should disruption occur.

While no-one can control the weather, proactive planning can help to reduce its impact. Whether the current El Niño develops into a record-breaking event or not, it highlights the importance of resilience, preparation and having the right protection in place.
 

Our range of Loss Prevention Standards (LPS)

The impact of flooding can extend far beyond buildings and contents, disrupting operations, affecting customers and resulting in costly downtime.

Our Loss Prevention Standards offer practical advice and guidance to help you stay ahead of flood risks this autumn.

• Flood – Emergency Response Plan
• Flood Guidance And Mitigation Global
• Tree Management – Property
• Flood Guidance And Mitigation – UK
• Weather Related Property Damage
• Wind And Windstorm
   

Insights from the National Flood School

We’re continuously strengthening our expertise, most recently through the acquisition of the National Flood School, part of the Disaster Care group. At the specialist training facility, claims teams and brokers are able to experience realistic flood scenarios and gain first-hand insight into the impact of water damage, restoration techniques and flood resilience measures.

Read the full article on Aviva Broker here.
 

Our commercial flood-focused Specialist Partners

• Apex Flood Solutions - Flood Protection Services: Apex Flood Solutions offers flood mitigation measures to protect the assets of both commercial and residential customers. Services and products include design and specification, installation and flood related products. 
• Ashfield Solutions - Flood Risk Management: Ashfield Solutions provides practical flood risk services tailored to businesses and commercial properties. Services include flood risk assessments, property surveys, resilience and mitigation strategies and emergency planning.
• JBA Consulting - Flood Risk Assessments: JBA Consulting provide Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) for insurance purposes, including an on-site hazard assessment survey and a bespoke report which provides a detailed review of the sources of flood risk and options to mitigate this risk.

_{1 Environment Agency, National Flood Risk Assessment in England 2024, updated Aug 2026}

_{2 Aviva Claims Data, 2023-2025}

_{Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.}