Frieston Flux Tower following installation The Environment Agency (EA) is part of a new research project that will monitor saltmarshes across the UK.  Saltmarsh plays a significant role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing greenhouse gasses in their plants and sediments. As well as carbon capture and storage, saltmarshes have many ecosystem services, including natural flood management and providing habitats for lots of different species.   However, it is estimated that 85% of UK saltmarsh has been lost since the mid-19th Century, and they still face pressure today ..read more

Article written by Julie Foley, our Director of Flood Risk Strategy and National Adaptation, Environment Agency Our treasured coast is a dynamic and exciting place for all those that live, work and play there. It’s a complex environment and how it is managed can have lasting impacts spanning hundreds of years. In England, 1.9 million homes are currently at risk of coastal flooding and erosion. We also have some of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe with hundreds of properties currently at risk of coastal erosion. In all future climate scenarios, we’ll experience a continued rise in ..read more

Article written by Julie Foley, our Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Natural Adaptation, Environment Agency Surface water flooding happens when there is heavy rainfall and there is so much rainwater that it overwhelms drainage systems. Instead, rainwater collects over the ground causing surface water flooding also known as flash flooding. Currently 3.4 million properties in England are in areas at risk from this kind of flooding. Of those at surface water flood risk, over 368,000 properties are in areas at the highest risk – meaning there is a more than a 60 per cent chance they ..read more

Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation It is essential that we make homes and businesses resilient to flooding and when the worst happens build back better to limit any future damages and speed up recovery. Property flood resilience involves making changes to properties to keep as much floodwater out as possible and reduce damages if water does enter. These changes can involve using flood doors or barriers, self-closing air bricks, raising electrics and tiling floors. We’re committed to raising awareness of property flood resilience measures and increasing thei ..read more

Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation Around 1 in 6 people are at risk of flooding in England. Our changing climate means that more homes will be at risk in the future. We have traditionally focussed our approach to flooding in England on the construction of barriers, walls and flood reservoirs. Protection of this kind will remain hugely important. But we cannot eliminate all risk. We all have a role to play in making ourselves and our homes and businesses more resilient to the current and growing threat from flooding. Property flood resilience is one way we c ..read more

Installation of one of the first FWEP sites at Wells Torhill Lane in Wessex. Flood warnings are now available for 110,000 additional homes and businesses following a major effort to ensure all properties at high risk of flooding can receive them. Many properties previously considered too remote, rural, or difficult to warn of flooding, are now able to take advantage of the service. This significant improvement has been made possible using new technologies developed by the Environment Agency. Flood warnings give people valuable time to prepare, take action and ultimately to save their lives w ..read more

By Sam Kipling, Senior Advisor on Coast & Development Planning I experienced flooding once. Sort of. The ballcock broke on my header tank and, for some reason, it didn’t have an overflow, so water poured from my attic, down to the ground floor. Thankfully someone was there to shut the water off fairly quickly. Had they not been, the whole house would have filled up like a goldfish bowl. Thankfully it was clean water. We didn’t lose any personal possessions. We didn’t have to move out. We had insurance. Yet the whole experience was deeply stressful and unpleasant. I’ll never forget the noi ..read more

There are over three million properties at risk of surface water flooding in England. Surface water flooding happens when rain from major storms overwhelms local drainage. It is a real and growing threat to life, property, infrastructure, and to the economy. Our changing climate will bring more intense summer rainfall events, like those that caused so much disruption in London in 2021. The latest climate science predicts winter rainfall could increase by up to 59% by the end of the century. We must take action now to manage the increasing risks of surface water flooding. Lead local flood auth ..read more

As we mark COP27 ‘Energy Day’, Dave Bonner, Flood Resilience Advisor, explains how his work alone has saved over 40 tonnes of carbon locally and over 600 tonnes nationally, a year. I’ve worked for the Environment Agency for more than 30 years, a job that I love.  Based on the South coast, I’ve always been involved in flood resilience. That means planning and coordinating the Environment Agency’s response to floods to minimise the distressing impact they can have on people’s lives and property. One area of this work that people might not think about is the amount of travelling we do every ..read more

Significant surface water flooding is probable across London and parts of south-east England today due to heavy showers and thunderstorms. Surface water flooding generally occurs after heavy rainfall in urban areas, when water cannot drain away or soak into the ground. It can happen very quickly and can be difficult to predict. However the extremely dry conditions of recent weeks have meant that the ground is hard and compacted across the country, further increasing the risk of localised surface water flooding in all areas. The Environment Agency has teams out on the ground ready to support l ..read more