flood resilience News

UK Warned Cuts to Flood Defense Are Too Dangerous to Consider

The UK should spare flood defense programs from budget cuts to be announced in June, as the country is already woefully unprepared for worsening disasters linked to climate change, a government adviser has said. “We are seriously concerned that resilience …

Insurers Pay Record Claims for Weather-Related Damage in UK: ABI

Insurers paid out a record £585 million (US$724.7 million) for weather-related damage to people’s homes and possessions in 2024 in the United Kingdom, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The record claims come following …

Valencia Floods Prompt Race for Funds to Boost Spain’s Climate Resilience

Spain is seeking European approval to repurpose more than a billion euros of post-pandemic recovery funds to make Valencia more resilient against climate change after the Mediterranean region suffered catastrophic heavy rains last year. The talks started a few weeks …

UK Commits £2.65 Billion to Tackle Rising Flood Risk

The UK will spend £2.65 billion ($3.31 billion) on flood defenses to protect homes from the growing risks posed by climate-fueled storms and rainfall, according to a government announcement on Tuesday. The investment on upgrading and repairing flood infrastructure will …

Flood Adaptation Preferable to Post-Disaster Rebuilding – And Helps With Insurability

Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes reached an estimated US$280 billion in 2023, with US$51.6 billion of that total due to floods, according to Swiss Re Institute. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events and rapid urban sprawl increased asset …

Insured Losses from Central European Floods Range From US$2.2B to US$3.4B: Verisk

Insured industry losses from the flooding in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria in September 2024 will range from €2 billion (US$2.2 billion) to €3 billion (US$3.4 billion), according to Verisk, the data analytics and technology provider. S&P Global Ratings …

Central European Insurers’ Financial Strength to Remain Solid Despite Severe Floods

The heavy rains and severe floods of Storm Boris, which inundated Central and Eastern Europe during the second week in September, will be the most severe flood event in about a decade, carrying an insurance price tag of an estimated …

Biden Administration Raises FEMA Bar for Flood Resilience

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has finalized a rule mandating that projects built using its funds not only take into account previous and current levels of local flood risk, but for the first time consider the future risk …

UK Is Far From Climate Proof Due to Poor Planning, Officials Say

The UK has failed to prioritize climate adaptation to risks such as floods and heat waves, putting British citizens and critical infrastructure in danger, an official assessment has found. A national adaptation plan, published last July, “falls far short of …

Insurance Losses From Sydney Floods Approach A$100M: ICA

Insurers have received 8,415 claims as a result of July’s floods in Sydney, carrying an initial estimated insurance price tag of A$97.9 million (US$66.8 million), according to the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA). The ICA said 84% of the claims …