In February, we marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Towyn floods, which I experienced, along with thousands of other people, when the sea defences in Towyn gave way back in February 1990. It was the largest evacuation since the second world war, with thousands of people having to be rehomed after the sea swept in. Thankfully, the Welsh Government is now investing in the Towyn and Kinmel Bay area’s coastal defences, and there has also been improvements to flood defences along other parts of the North Wales Coast.  

However, flooding can and does still occur, one of the risks being rivers bursting their banks at times of high rain fall.  

Floods can cause damage to homes and possessions as well as disruption to communications. 

As an MS, I have spent much time with flood victims in the aftermath of floods over the years, so I know that a major concern for these people was accessing affordable insurance in the future.

The average cost of repairing a flood damaged home after Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge was around £33,600. 

While flood cover is part of a standard home insurance policy, if you are at an increased risk of flooding – for example if you live close to a river that floods regularly or you have made several major flood claims – you may find flood insurance protection harder to obtain or more expensive. 

I therefore very much welcomed the introduction of The Flood Insurance Directory, which was launched jointly in February 2022 by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Flood Re,  a joint initiative between the Government and insurers which sims to make the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.  

It is a directory of specialist flood insurance providers and aims to help householders who are struggling to obtain flood insurance access the protection they need.  

The Directory was set up in response to the Independent Review of Flood Insurance in Doncaster], which recommended a means of providing easier access to suitable and affordable insurance products to help those living in flood-prone areas.  

The Directory includes providers of home insurance that are backed by Flood Re and providers of flood cover for homes outside Flood Re’s eligibility criteria e.g. those built since 2009.

The Directory is promoted on a regular basis on social media and other media channels, however I am aware that some people still don’t know it exists. 

I am therefore keen to direct people to the directory which is available online at http://www.biba.org.uk/Flood-insurance-directory  

Whilst not part of the Flood Insurance Directory, if you would rather speak to someone than access the website, BIBA’s Find Insurance Service operates a contact centre, 0370 9501790, that is able to take your call.  

Being protected gives residents and businesses the peace of mind that should the worst happen, they won’t be out of pocket. You would be surprised how much damage even a small amount of water can cause and the extortionate cost of repairs and replacing contents. 

Being flooded is devastating even when you are insured, just imagine how much worse it would be if you weren’t!