Property Flood Resilience eBook launches to help communities adapt for future floods

I was keen to share best practice resilience examples to help inform and inspire those facing the prospect of flooding

- Produced by flood resilience campaigner Mary Dhonau OBE, in association with the Environment Agency and Flood Re -

A new Property Flood Resilience eBook has launched to provide home owners and businesses with over 40 real-life case studies from families, business and communities that have personally dealt with the aftermath of flooding.

Produced by flood awareness and resilience campaigner Mary Dhonau OBE, in partnership with the Environment Agency and Flood Re, the free eBook is designed to offer practical guidance and actual examples of the steps that can be taken to help properties withstand flood waters, or ensure recovery can be achieved far quicker should flood waters breach a property.

Talking about the publication of the eBook, Mary Dhonau OBE said, “The devastation that flooding causes should never be underestimated. It leaves a lasting effect on those who have personally been through it; a fact that is so often overlooked. In producing this eBook, I’ve spoken to people across the country who have experience flooding and, without exception, everyone has said that the recovery is far worse than the flood itself.

“Having been flooded myself and benefited from my own resilient measures, and having project managed the adaptation of two properties in Cumbria as part of a flood resilience showcase, I was keen to share best practice resilience examples to help inform and inspire those facing the prospect of flooding. Whilst we cannot escape flooding, we can make living with the prospect easier. By sharing our ideas and real-life examples of just what is possible, the eBook provides a great motivation to others living with the same concerns or risk.”

The eBook includes case studies of families and businesses in York, Hebden Bridge, Hull, Warwickshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Corbridge, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Suffolk. There are also eight examples of community volunteer groups, who have established Flood Action Groups to implement interventions that help reduce the risk of communities from specific flood hazards.

Carol Holt, Deputy Director for Incident Management & Resilience at the Environment Agency, said: “I am delighted to see the publication of so many different case studies highlighting a range of simple and practical steps people can take to reduce the impact on their homes and businesses when flooding occurs. We all need to work together to make our homes, businesses and infrastructure more resilient to flooding, coastal erosion and the impacts of climate change.”

Dermot Kehoe, Director of Communications & Transition at Flood Re added: “I am delighted that Flood Re could support this important publication. In the future we are all going to have to become more resilient to protect ourselves from flooding. This magazine highlights real examples of where people have made positive improvements to their homes.”

Graham Brogden Chair of the Property Flood Resilience Action Group wrote this in the eBook's foreword, “I am passionate about driving resilience and more importantly the initiative to make properties more recoverable by making some sensible adaptations that will help greatly reduce the recovery period. However, changing the behaviour and asking individual property owners to consider these adaptations is not easy without clear evidence of the benefits and our work has made us realise that it is difficult to gather that evidence. I therefore applaud the work that Mary has done in pulling the EMag together and the time she has spent travelling across the country to spend time with families and business owners, that have taken that step and to understand the impact it is having.”

The free eBook, which provide examples from real people who have been impacted by flood and adapted their properties to make them resilient to future flood incidents, is available to download here.

For more information, visit Mary Dhonau’s website - http://www.marydhonau.co.uk/.


ENDS



Notes to Editors:

Interviews with Mary Dhonau OBE are available on request.

Editor’s Contact:
Peppa Sheridan
Peptalk Communications
01787 313822
peppa@peptalkpr.co.uk