Editor's Opinion: Britain's flood risk problem

“Is this really the editor's opinion? Is he/she permitted an opinion of their own, or is a Corporate Opinion, heartily embraced by an earnest career symbiote? Is this a strategic 'Opinion' to take the wind out of the sails of those who believe the GT team consists of 'line-toers'?

All these questions...

Arthur, Immingham”

“Its the Full Picture

The reason is.............the Fitties have not flooded recently. A few chalets were flooded by the rains in 2007 but not many. Therefore the flood risk is relatively low

The other areas are significant flood risks (they have flooded significantly)

Strange that its only the fitties that have restricted occupation due to flood risks”

“Fitties 1 - i stand corrected then. A 'high street' insurer is happy to insure you on the Fitties at 'very reasonable rates', while they won't touch Mr & Mrs Jones who live, say, on the Willows with the proverbial barge pole ? You've done very well for yourself, Fitties 1. Either that or your not quite giving us (or your insurer) the full picture.”

“simonblander

WRONG

normal household insurance

The Chalet is still there in Jan Feb so needs to be insured, obvious really.

Norwich Union (Aviva) very good rates”

“Fitties 1 - thats 'cos you insure your pad on the Fitties as a holiday home (through a broker that specialises in holiday home insurance) which is what it is (ie not occupied all year round and not occupied at times of the year when flooding is statistically more likely to occur). Surely you understand that this is different to insuring a building that is fully occupied as a domestic residence all year round ?”

“No problem insuring a Chalet on the Fitties”

“By refusing to insure your homes maybe the insurance companies (who have dedicated full-time experts on risk), are telling you something. They think they will lose money by insuring your homes - why is that? If you bought your house since 1953/1975, the prospect of flooding must have occurred to you, surely. I'm not unsympathetic and I pray your houses do not flood, but the forces of nature can't always be treated like a corporate conspiracy.”

“I think you will find that the floods of the 1950's and 70's were of a different nature to the most recent flooding in Grimsby, being tidal along with unusual weather patterns and tidal surges. From my memory the only area affected by heavy rainfall flooding, plus a bit of help from spring tides, being the Haven Ave area until the flood wall along the Avenue was built and the barrier at the Riverhead was erected. This seemed to eradicate the problem in the Haven Ave area and it wasn't until the 1975 floods when the sea wall collapsed in the vicinity of Suggitts Lane that the problem of serious flooding arose again. Of course once again flood defences were improved along this stretch of the of the river wall and the problem has been contained. However,it would be interesting to know how the previous flooding affected house and content insurance in the two areas mentioned previously as the current trend in flood damage is one we share with the rest of the country regardless of elevation, in short it's mainly down to excessive rain, the tides playing little part. But, you can bet your bottom dollar that the insurance companies will use the tidal threat to hike insurance premiums in this area by using the fact that we are on a very low lying coastal plain and the environment agency has declared this a flood problem. So the conclusion is, unfortunately, not good and our insurance premiums may rocket to cover parts of the country that rarely flood but when they do it's catastrophic and claims must be met! Simple isn't it. Raise the extra cash from areas of (official) high risk to cover high claims from freak unseasonal weather elsewhere. It's a no brainer really isn't it? Sometimes I wish I had moved a little closer to Itterby and Oole!”