We have always had flooding in the UK but due to media coverage and climate change we are seeing them more and more. There is no doubt that the almost blanket coverage of news through our phones and other devices certainly makes everything news worthy seem as thought it’s happening every five minutes. However, flooding is certainly on the rise (pun intended) and here is why you should definitely care about it even if it never happens where you live!
Because You Should
The first and most important reason to care about flooding is because as a human you probably should care if other people are suffering. It’s a simple principle but it has wider reaching consequences. With so much news comes the sad effect of a numbing to anything bad that we see. That is a real shame because it taints how we see the world. So for no other reason than it being the right thing to do, which may also help others … the next time you see people flooded out of their homes, just give them a few moments’ thought. It is also worth looking for local charities in the area that deal with supporting victims of flooding. If you are able to spare anything that is great, but if not then just caring is well worth it.
Because You Will Bear the Cost Eventually
It may seem like an odd concept but ultimately when an area floods the cost will eventually find its way back to you. The cost of flood damage in the UK each year is around £1.1 billion and that doesn’t include how much it can cost to prevent flooding as an additional cost. It could be that over time the home insurance company you use actually takes such a hit on flooding that it starts gently (or not so gently) to push up premiums. This could mean that after a bad year of flooding in other places you end up paying a great deal more on your home insurance. There is also a common feeling that the government should fix it all, and they should certainly do a lot. But everything they do needs to be paid for and ultimately this may well come from tax rises. This is a tricky one because many people are happy to pay more tax as long as it goes where it is meant to; or goes on things like flooding. But, there is no doubt at all that over time flood defence, both coastal and inland, will be costly and it will have to be dealt with. So you can guarantee this cost will eventually find its way out of your wages.
Because it may well effect your property-owning dreams
For many people owning a property at some point is still something they want to achieve. This often means moving to another area if they simply cannot afford properties where they live. As flooding becomes more of an issue so does the danger of buying in a flood-risk area. This can have a number of effects. Initially, the price may fall and it could seem like a great idea, but without knowing the full risks the insurance could be crippling or simply not available. Companies like www.unda.co.uk are certainly out there helping home buyers get a real picture of the flood risk when buying. But sadly many estate agents and the like may not be quite so open.
Because We Need to Make Changes
If we ignore flooding as something that happens elsewhere then we are potentially ignoring the causes, and many of those causes are things we all do. We need to see flooding as a warning, and a stark one at that. Floods in a flood-prone area may not seem like much, but if they are happening more often the change cannot be ignored. Changing our habits in terms of energy use, recycling and more is critical to help reduce the freight train that is climate change. We need to slow it down and the only way to do that is by doing it together.
There are other ways to make changes though. By being more aware of flooding you can think carefully about how you vote. Press your party to deliver more in terms of flood planning, defence and environmental work. Make sure they know, whoever the party is, that you expect to see climate change addressed and that you also expect to have to pay for it. It may seem harsh but it is the only way to avoid seeing more flooding in more areas … and one of those areas could be your town.
This article has hopefully given you some food for thought about the reality of flooding we all face. It may seem a distant worry when we see an old lady in a dingy with a fireman, or a funny clip of someone waterskiing in flood waters — but the reality is closer to home than most people think.
