Floods have become a more frequent occurrence in the UK in recent years due to a combination of climate change and ageing infrastructure. The flooding of homes and businesses has had a severe financial and emotional impact on many people. Here we look at three of the worst floods to have hit the UK in the last 20 years.

1. The 2007 Floods in the UK

The 2007 floods were one of the worst floods to affect the UK in the last 20 years. It was the wettest summer since 1912 and the most severe floods since 1947. The floods affected large areas of Central and Southern England, particularly Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. Around 1,000,000 homes were affected by the floods, and many roads, railways and bridges were destroyed. The estimated cost of the damage was over £3 billion. The main rivers affected by the floods were the Rivers Severn and Thames. There were no reported fatalities due to the floods, but there were reports of a number of people being rescued from the rising waters.

In response to the floods, the government set up the Pitt Review, which looked at the causes of the floods and made recommendations on how to improve flood prevention and management in the future. This led to a number of changes, including the creation of the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Strategy, which aimed to develop long-term plans for flood defence and resilience.

Source: BBC News, 2007 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-42772322

2. The 2009 Floods in the UK

The 2009 floods were the second worst floods to affect the UK in the last 20 years. It was the wettest summer on record, with some areas receiving over twice the average rainfall. The floods affected a large area of Northern England, particularly Cumbria and Lancashire. Around 2,000 homes were affected by the floods, and many roads, railways and bridges were destroyed. The estimated cost of the damage was over £1 billion. The main rivers affected by the floods were the Rivers Kent, Eden and Cocker. There were no reported fatalities due to the floods, although there were some reports of people being rescued from the rising waters.

In response to the floods, the government set up the Environment Agency’s Flooding and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy, which looked at how to improve the resilience of communities to flooding and coastal erosion. This led to a number of changes, including the creation of the National Flood Resilience Review and the National Flood Defence System.

Source: BBC News, 2009 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-12170087

3. The 2013 Floods in the UK

The 2013 floods were the third worst floods to affect the UK in the last 20 years. It was the wettest winter on record and the most severe flooding since 1953. The floods affected a large area of Northern England, particularly Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Around 300 homes were affected by the floods, and many roads, railways and bridges were destroyed. The estimated cost of the damage was over 1 billion. The main rivers affected by the floods were the Rivers Derwent and Don. There were no reported fatalities due to the floods, but there were reports of people being rescued from the rising waters.

In response to the floods, the government set up the Environment Agencys Flooding and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy, which looked at how to improve resilience of communities to flooding and coastal erosion. This led to a number of changes, including the creation of the National Flood Resilience Review and the National Flood Defence System.

Source: BBC News, 2013 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yorkshire-27697013.

In conclusion, the UK has seen three major floods in the last 20 years, all of which have caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. It is therefore important to be aware of the risk of flooding and to prepare accordingly. If you are concerned about your property flooding, it is worth investigating about the benefits of Storm Water pumps from pumpstationsdirect.com, they are one of the UK’s leading providers of storm water pumps. By investing in a storm water pump, you can help to protect your property from floods and keep your family safe.