Toolkit: How to make your business flood resilient
To mark Flood Resilience Awareness Week (September 21-25), we’re encouraging businesses to consider what they can do to limit the impact if Cumbria suffers another serious flood this winter.
The Know Your Flood Risk campaign has prepared a flood resilience toolkit specifically for businesses, which you can download here.
It covers the different types of flooding, how to find out if your business is at risk, drawing up a flood plan, reducing potential damage, what to do after a flood and dealing with insurers.
It also includes a case study setting out how a retailer in Kendal improved its resilience after being flooded in 2015.
Rob Johnston, Chief Executive of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Chamber was at the forefront of the flood recovery effort after Cumbria suffered catastrophic floods in 2005, 2009 and 2015. We know how damaging flooding can be.
“We sincerely hope there’s no repeat this winter but businesses need to be ready just in case.
“This toolkit contains practical, sensible advice – steps that businesses can take now. It’s about ensuring that, if disaster strikes, you limit the damage and start trading again as quickly as possible.”
He added: “Businesses have been so preoccupied with Covid-19 this year it would be understandable if flood resilience has dropped off their radar.
“But it remains a live issue. Many of the flood-defence schemes drawn up in response to Storm Desmond in 2015 have yet to be completed, so the risk of another major flood remains real and tangible.”
Cumbria Chamber gave evidence last year to a Parliamentary Select Committee that was investigating the impacts of flooding on businesses.
The Environment and Rural Affairs Select Committee adopted the Chamber’s central recommendation – calling for a change in the way flood defence schemes are evaluated – as part of its interim report.
You can read more about the Chamber’s submission here.
© Cumbria Chamber of Commerce