A new report from flood forecasting company Previsico, based on insights from more than 70 UK organization leaders, finds that despite rising risk awareness, flood preparedness has plummeted.
Only 8% of respondents said they or all their clients have a flood action plan covering all locations, down from 30% in 2025, although 72% expect to be personally impacted by flooding in the future.
The development is part of the company’s State of Flood Preparedness report, compiled using data collected through surveys and webinars conducted by Airmic and InsTech.
Previsico noted that it highlights a “growing paradox” in which awareness of flood risks is increasing but preparedness has plummeted, putting businesses, insurers and asset holders at risk.
The company said: “With weather-related insurance claims set to reach £1.2bn by 2025, a 14% increase on the previous year, and annual flood losses expected to increase fivefold by 2050, the urgency for action has never been greater. However, the data tells a disturbing story.”
Previsico continued: “This year’s report reveals a shift in awareness: more organizations (47.73%, up from 43% in 2025) now have first-hand experience of the reality of flooding, and an overwhelming majority recognize the risks ahead.
“However, with less than one in 10 organizations saying they have a flood response plan in place (compared to 30% in 2025), and more than 81% of respondents saying they often feel overwhelmed, there are clear systemic gaps in planning, communication and operational preparedness.”
Competition for funding and resources remains fierce, with more than half of respondents citing these as major barriers to investment, according to the company’s report.
“Alarmingly, 20.93% of respondents noted that uncertainty about future flood risks makes investment a challenge, suggesting that further education and increased availability of tailored data are necessary to help organizations understand potential risks,” Previsico added.
Jonathan Jackson, CEO of Previsico, commented: “Advances in modeling, improved surface water mapping and updated climate projections now classify around two-thirds of England as ‘floodable’ under certain conditions, with exposure well beyond traditional assumptions. However, many organizations still underestimate the flood risk they face, despite increasingly reliable data telling a very different story.”
“Risk and insurance sectors need to treat floods as seriously as they treat fire. To close this gap, insurers and risk advisers need to set clearer expectations and adopt stronger resilience practices so that floods become a manageable risk rather than an escalating vulnerability.”
