More than 6m homes at risk of flooding in England

According to the most recent climate estimates, almost 6 million homes in England might flood, according to an Environment Agency research.

According to the report, this might increase to 8m, or one in four properties, by 2050.

According to new modelling, the number of homes that are predicted to flood has increased significantly.

In England, 6.3 million properties are located in areas vulnerable to flooding from rivers, the sea, or surface water. Among these, 4.6 million are at risk of surface water flooding, which occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms drainage systems, leading to dangerous flash floods. This marks a 43% increase compared to the Environment Agency's previous assessment.  

Additionally, 2.4 million properties are situated in areas prone to flooding from rivers and the sea. The analysis also revealed an 88% rise in properties facing the highest level of risk, defined as having more than a one-in-30 chance of flooding annually.  

Earlier this month, Storm Darragh caused widespread destruction across the UK. The storm claimed two lives, left tens of thousands without power for days, disrupted train services, and caused severe flooding in homes and businesses.  

Flood protection measures have been reduced by 40% in recent years due to insufficient investment, with a quarter of major projects being abandoned. Campaigners are urging the government to reinforce its climate strategies to address the growing threat of flooding.

Alison Dilworth, a Friends of the Earth campaigner, said: “The risk from floods and coastal erosion is growing, yet the government’s plan for dealing with increasingly extreme weather is completely inadequate. Labour agrees that the previous government’s policies ‘have left Britain badly exposed’. Now it needs to fix this by strengthening the national adaptation programme, in consultation with the communities most impacted by the climate crisis.”