The
wettest
start to a year
since records began
2014 got off to a wet start as relentless
storms pummelled the United Kingdom
with torrential rain, gale-force winds
and widespread flooding. Since 2013’s
festive season, storms flooded more
than 1,800 homes and businesses in
England and Wales. However, the actual
damage pales in comparison to what
could have been—the Environment
Agency (EA) estimates that more than
239,000 properties were protected by
flood defences.
Coastlines in southern England and
Wales were particularly hammered
by the harsh weather— waves higher
than 8 metres were recorded at Land’s
End, the westernmost point in England.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, a heavily hit
coastal area, evacuated all seafront
property residents as waves caused
damage that may cost millions of
pounds to repair. In Northern Ireland,
a large multi-agency emergency plan
distributed more than 30,000 sandbags
for flood protection. Coastal areas of
County Down saw the worst flooding,
with Belfast escaping the brunt. Scotland
was similarly spared. Despite localised
flooding around the Firth of Forth and in
Musselburgh, there was little widespread
damage.
Inland areas in England, however,
did not remain unscathed. As rivers
swelled, travel disruption persisted.
Flights were delayed at airports across
England, including Heathrow, Gatwick,
Manchester and Blackpool. Road travel
was relatively smooth, with only a few
routes closed due to flooding; however,
rail travel had more trouble. Several lines
had to use buses to replace portions
of their routes rendered impassable
by flooding and subsequent landslips.
Before travelling in bad weather, check
any applicable warnings and be ready
for delays.
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Throughout the United Kingdom,
business owners struggled to recover
from colossal repair bills and persistent
disruption. Some city councils, such as
Somerset, are providing extra funding to
help those affected by severe weather
and flooding. But this only helps with a
small portion of damages and leaves
businesses responsible for the rest.
Even businesses that did not experience
significant—or any—flooding damage
may still suffer from business interruption
issues. Some business owners in
Aberystwyth are hoping that increased
media attention resulting from the storm
damage will contribute to a renewed
fervour for visiting their section of the
Welsh coastline. At this time of year, any
business is crucial to the Welsh resort
town—winter business is a lifeline to
tide businesses over until the profitable
summer months.
Severe weather conditions such as
these remind us all of the importance
of making sure that we adequately
insure our homes and business against
the costs of repairing the damage,
cleaning up and providing alternative
accommodation or compensation for
loss of trade or business. By using the
services of a professional Insurance
Broker you can receive valuable advice
and assistance on arranging the right
levels of cover at a competitive price and
you could also benefit from their help
and experience in dealing with a claim
should you be unfortunate enough to
suffer a loss.
By David Christmas
bennettchristmas.com