The Sumerians were a civilisation which flourished between 4100-1750 BC. Sumerian clay tablets, which date back to around 2000 BC, recount tales of human beginnings, the creation of humankind, and the interventions of the gods. One of the most famous myths depicted on Sumerian tablets is the first recorded flood myth, a story of a monumental deluge and colossal flood, driven by divine discontent with humanity. Over 4000 years later, while we have a slightly more scientific approach to the causes of flooding, we are still plagued with flood myths and misconceptions.
Today, a staggering 1 in 6 properties in England is at risk of flooding. Despite this alarming statistic, there are still widespread misconceptions, which are not only potentially dangerous, but misleading and ultimately prevent us from being adequately prepared in the event of a flood.
Flooding can be caused by a range of sources. Even if a property has never flooded in the past, isn’t located near a river or the coast, or is positioned at the top of a hill, this doesn’t mean the property is not at risk. It is crucial that homes and businesses understand the main types of flooding and what you can do to mitigate it’s devastating effects. Our latest blog looks in more detail at the facts, common misconceptions and how to ensure you’re prepared in the event of a flood.
Global warming, extreme weather, and urbanisation all play a role in the increased risk of flooding. The most common forms of flooding include coastal flooding, river (fluvial) flooding and flash/surface water flooding (pluvial).
Coastal flooding often occurs following extreme weather and high tides, which can cause a rise in sea levels, forcing water onto the surrounding land mass. Coastal flooding will only worsen as our planet warms.
River flooding is one of the most common types of flood phenomena, and usually happens following intense rainfall. A body of water – like a river – will flow out of its banks when there is too much water for the river channel to contain, leading to flooding of the surrounding area.
Flooding can be predicted by the weather that a geographic location is experiencing but it can also occur suddenly and unexpectedly. This type of flooding is known as a flash flood, and it can cause significant damage and loss of life, due to its unexpected nature. While the majority of flash/surface water floods are triggered by torrential rain falling within a short amount of time, like during intense storms, they can also occur even if no rain has fallen. The sudden release of water from levee and dam breaks, or debris/ice jams, or as we’ve seen recently burst water mains, can all lead to flash flooding. Because of their sudden onset, flash floods tend to be thought of as more dangerous than ordinary floods.
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions and myths about flooding that can put people at risk. One of the most common myths is that floods only happen on low lying areas, however the truth is that floods can, and do happen anywhere. Urbanisation and poorly designed drainage systems contribute to the likelihood of flooding. Properties on a hill can still suffer flooding from surface water run-off, sewerage system back-up or even a burst water pipe. Just because you are positioned on high ground doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk.
Another common flood myth is that flood insurance will cover all flood damage costs. While flood cover is a standard feature of many insurance policies, it’s important and prudent to check your policy. A typical buildings policy may provide cover – at least in principle – for damage caused by floodwater entering your home from an external source, including a river or canal bursting its banks, storms and high tide or heavy rainfall. However, nothing is without caveats. Often policies have exclusions or carry a high excess. Certain parts of properties like out buildings and fences may not be covered and furthermore there are only a small minority of policies which cover groundwater flooding.
In January of this year the government published guidance on the financial support available in the event of a flood. The support was coined the Flood Recovery Framework. This includes £500 cash for eligible households, to help with immediate costs. Council Tax relief for households and businesses significantly affected by flood phenomena, £2,500 Business Recovery Grants for small to mediums sized enterprises, which is intended to help them return quickly to business as usual, and grants of up £25,000 for farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land. Whilst these measures are welcome, in most cases they are nominal and not all flood victims are eligible. In addition, the process of obtaining aid from the government can be time-consuming and challenging.
Another common misconception is that flood water isn’t dangerous to drive or walk through. In the event of a flood, The Royal Life Saving Society UK advises that you should never walk or drive through floodwater. Just 15cm of fast-flowing water can knock an adult over and two feet of water will float a car. You may get swept away or be struck or caught up in an object in the water. Flood waters are hazardous and contain hidden dangers including sharp objects, electrical hazards, and strong currents. It is much safer to seek an alternate route than attempt to drive or walk through flood waters. If however, you do find yourself and your vehicle in floodwater, call for help. It’s important to remove seatbelts and release any children from their seats. Turning on all the lights and sounding the horn will help attract attention, though importantly this should not delay escape. If the water level is low – windows can be opened, and it will be safe to remain in the vehicle. If the water level is high – escape out of the windows, sunroof or doors onto the roof of the car.
Finally, while sandbags are a flood prevention technique that have been around for centuries, a common misconception is that they provide enough protection for homes and businesses against all kinds of flooding. While sandbags can help reduce flood damage, they are in no way foolproof. Properly filling and placing sandbags is labour-intensive and requires advance preparation. Crucially, they also don’t prevent all water from entering your property or business premises, and other measures like proper drainage, elevation, or flood barriers may be needed. Sandbags aren’t perfect and certainly won’t offer protection in all flood circumstances.
In a severe flood situation, if you had the time and resources to deploy thousands of sandbags, one question is what happens once the water’s gone; a huge issue with the use of sandbags is the disposal of them, getting rid of sandbags poses a problem for several reasons, not in the least they’re now contaminated – (floodwaters are often filled with lots of hazardous materials). Furthermore, disposal companies don’t want sandbags because they take up a lot of space in landfills.
Homes and businesses need to be aware of the common myths surrounding flooding and most importantly not believe them. The reality is that flooding can happen in any area, at any time and for various reasons.
The thing with water is that it gets everywhere. So if there is somewhere you don’t want it to be, you’re best ensuring that you have adequate flood defences in place.
Since 1994, Flood Control International has designed, supplied and installed the widest range of flood protection solutions in the world. For more information please visit: https://floodcontrolinternational.com
Also see our Boxwall website and discover a new level of reliable, portable flood defence solutions: https://boxwall.co.uk
References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zjcg6v4
https://www.floodguidance.co.uk/what-is-resilience/types-flooding/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55738435
Water Safety in a Flood | Royal Life Saving Society UK ( RLSS UK )
Government payments for communities affected by flooding – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Home insurance: flooding – Which?
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/sandbag.htm
