UK Flood-Proofing: Airbricks, Flood Tape, Deflated Footballs — SkimNews
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- The Guardian compiled expert flood-proofing guidance for UK households facing heightened winter flood risks driven by record-breaking El Niño conditions and intensifying rainfall, warning millions of homes are at risk.
- Tracey Garrett, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, warned that climate change means past flooding patterns cannot be assumed to predict future ones, calling preparation "more important than ever."
- Mary Long-Dhonau of the Flood Mary campaign said standard airbricks can let thousands of litres of water into a home per hour, and recommended replacing them with Kitemarked self-closing versions that activate automatically when floodwater arrives.
- Flood tape emerged as a cheaper, more effective alternative to sandbags, with Long-Dhonau also recommending a deflated child's football pumped up inside the bowl as an emergency toilet bung to stop sewage backflow.
- Outdoor defenses include repairing cracked brickwork and mortar, installing water butts that can be emptied ahead of storms, and replacing concrete or artificial grass with permeable paving and water-thirsty plants to slow runoff into drainage systems.
- Flood-resilient homes require a "flood box" with essentials like head torches and plastic sheeting, plus raised furniture and plug sockets relocated higher on walls in properties that regularly flood.
- Kelly Ostler-Coyle of government-backed Flood Re said practical preparation can save thousands of pounds and help households get back into their homes faster if flooding does occur.
Why it matters: With millions of UK homes at risk and intensifying rainfall rendering historical flood patterns unreliable, the practical measures outlined — many costing little more than tape and a deflated football — could determine whether households lose treasured belongings or face months of displacement. Flood Re's Ostler-Coyle noted preparation can save thousands of pounds and materially shorten recovery time for affected families.
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