Flood guidance for small businesses

Unfortunately, all businesses are at risk of flooding, no matter where they are. Even if you’re not close to a river or the sea, you could still be affected by rising ground water, burst water mains, sewer overflows or rainwater running off hillsides. Assess your risk now by looking at the Environment Agency’s flood map.

The Environment Agency has identified which type of businesses will be hardest hit. It found that high street shops are at particular risk of financial loss due to their high levels of stock, often crammed into a small space. If your company relies heavily on technology you could also be badly hit, as cabling and electricity supplies are often located below ground level. You’re also particularly vulnerable if you have a warehouse with a stock room - especially if you’re on the ground floor and have nowhere to stack goods out of the reach of floodwaters.

If you decide you’re at a particularly high risk of flooding, the good news is that there are various products available to reduce the risk of water damage, including flood barriers and door and window seals. Read about them on the Business Link flood guide.

And for more information on how to protect your business from water damage, see the comprehensive Risk Management Guide on MORE TH>N BUSINESS.

Arranging in advance what you’ll do in a flood won’t just help you feel prepared - many insurance companies will actually reduce your insurance premiums if you have a contingency plan in place. The Environment Agency has a great flood plan template you can download. But before you start writing, there are some points you need to consider.

According to the MORE TH>N BUSINESS Water Damage Risk Management Guide, a good plan need not be complicated, but a first step would be to list everything you can think of that could go wrong,then show your list to someone you trust and ask if they can think of anything you’ve missed.

The plan should also include a list of important contacts (for example any customers and suppliers you need to contact, or the mobile phone numbers of key members of staff) and should also have information on protecting your property (such as instructions on how to back-up data, or a list of items which should be moved to a place of safety). Once you’ve formulated your plan, spend time informing and training your staff and do several dummy runs, as if you were practising a fire drill.