Flooding and Older Homes

Many older homes were built near rivers or the coast because water offered the fastest transport routes before rail and road systems developed. These buildings were designed and constructed to be resilient to flooding.

Today, buildings are more at risk from flooding due to our changing climate. The increase in paved surfaces is contributing to surface water flooding and sewer flooding. To house our growing population, homes have also been built in areas susceptible to groundwater flooding.

Older buildings, where appropriately maintained, are by design extremely resilient and can recover quickly from flooding. However, they can be damaged after a flood by unsuitable drying methods and repair works, and historic materials and fittings being thrown away unnecessarily.