Yorkshire one of the top five flood risk areas in England

By Lydia FearnleyContributor
Published 14th Feb 2024, 16:34 BST
Since the start of January, Yorkshire has experienced numerous flood warnings, dangerous conditions and travel disruptions following the extreme weather conditions caused by Storm Henk and, more recently, Storm Isha.With this in mind, Thomson Environmental Consultants delved into Environment Agency data to predict the UK areas facing the biggest risk of flooding in 2024 based on the locations with the most flood alerts and warnings over the last five years.¹

Thomson Environmental Consultants is one of the UK’s leading independent environmental consultancies supporting a range of businesses to comply with environmental legislation and helping them work towards the best outcome possible to benefit both them and the natural world.

The study revealed Yorkshire as one of the regions with the highest flood risk factor, with 2,608 flood risks and alerts in the past five years. The hilly region with many rivers and low-lying moors is particularly prone to flooding, such as the 2015 Boxing Day floods, where 3,000 Calder Valley properties were flooded. This year, West Yorkshire will receive £22m to implement physical barriers and build a natural flood scheme to avoid a repeat of the destruction.²

The Yorkshire area that has experienced the most alerts is the Humber Estuary from Spurn Point to Winestead Outfall, with 163 alerts. Other hard-hit areas in Yorkshire include the North Sea coast at Withernsea, Easington and Kilnsea (142), the North Sea Coast at Bridlington (132), and the North Sea coast at Hornsea (98).

According to the new research, the top ten flood-risk areas in England are:

  1. West Midlands (4107)

  2. Wessex (3397)

  3. Yorkshire (2608)

  4. Solent and South Downs (1789)

  5. Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk (1608)

  6. Kent S London and E Sussex (1456)

  7. East Midlands (1256)

  8. Cumbria (1195)

  9. Devon (1074)

  10. Thames (1050)

West Midlands took the top spot as the region with the highest flood risk factor, having experienced severe flooding during winter in 2019 and 2020. Heavy and persistent rain, combined with saturated ground, led to significant river and surface water flooding in the region.

The region received a total of 4,107 alerts during the last five years and experienced the most alerts in Severn Vyrnwy Confluence (87), followed by Upper Avon River Swift and Clay Coton Brook (85) and River Churnet and River Tean (80).

Emily Trill, Senior Hydrological Consultant at Thomson Environmental Consultants, discussed the importance of flood mitigation and how local authorities and property developers can significantly lower the impact of future flood events: “Investing in critical infrastructure, regulating development in flood-prone areas, and fostering community awareness and preparedness can significantly reduce the impact of future flood events. However, collaboration among authorities, agencies, and environmental consultancies is vital to creating resilient floodplain management strategies that safeguard communities and natural defences against the growing risks posed by climate change.”

You can find a full breakdown of the study here: https://www.thomsonec.com/news/high-flood-risk-areas-and-flood-mitigation-in-england/

Sources:

  1. The Environment Agency data set was taken from June 2018 - June 2023 based on available data (September 2023) at the time of research (November 2023).

  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-67747131