Brace for Impact: How Climate Change Fuels Innovation in Flood and Fire Risk Technologies

When Storm Babet struck Trowell, Nottingham in 2023, Claire Sneddon’s home unexpectedly suffered severe flooding, leading to a hefty £45,000 insurance bill and a year of repairs. Despite assurances from her real estate agent that previous flooding was a once-in-a-lifetime event, the reality proved different as climate change escalates the frequency of natural disasters.

As a result, tools to assess climate risks have been innovating rapidly. The UK Environment Agency recently updated its National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA), revealing that up to 6.3 million properties in England are at risk of flooding, a number projected to rise to eight million by 2050 due to climate change. Julie Foley, a director at the Environment Agency, highlights that one in four properties may face risk by mid-century. A new portal is set to be launched for homeowners to check their long-term flood risks, mirroring existing services in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Simultaneously, startups like Climate X are harnessing AI to create a digital twin of Earth, simulating the impact of extreme weather on properties. They aim to provide more than just rainfall predictions, revealing potential flooding scenarios. Faura, another innovative firm, evaluates property resilience using satellite imagery, helping insurers understand which buildings can withstand disasters. The shift towards factoring in climate risk is becoming crucial; companies like Redfin are even estimating disaster risks for properties to influence buyer decisions.

Following her flood experience, Sneddon now advocates for flood risk awareness, emphasizing the heightened impact of flooding on mental health and community stability, as she works with The FPS Group. She warns that as climate conditions worsen, homeowners need to be proactive in understanding their risks to maintain a sense of safety in their homes.