Flood Innovation Centre brings ‘Floodmobile’ to the Humber region to raise awareness of flood risk

The Flood Innovation Centre is bringing the ‘Floodmobile’ – an innovative mobile demonstration vehicle created to show businesses and communities what property flood resilience measures are and how they work – on a tour of the Humber region.

Billed as a ‘flood resilient house on wheels’, the Floodmobile is packed with around 50 different property flood resilience measures that can be installed in buildings to make them less vulnerable to flooding. Throughout the tour, it will be accompanied by members of the Flood Innovation Centre team, who are funded to work with communities in a number of local authority areas across the country to support different approaches and solutions to flood resilience, as well as special guests, including Mary Dhonau, who has become known as ‘Flood Mary’ for her campaigning work on flood resilience.

The Flood Innovation Centre was established by the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute to help improve the resilience of the people, property and businesses of the Humber region. With funding from the European Regional Development Fund, the team provide free support services to help businesses and community groups become better protected from flood as well as develop new products and services in flood resilience.

The Humber region is one of the most flood-prone areas of the country, second only to London. During the 2007 floods, more than 8,000 households flooded in Hull alone.

The Flood Innovation Centre is working with the Humber Local Resilience Forum, which includes the region’s four local authorities, together with other emergency responders, to try to ensure that as many people as possible get the opportunity to go along and see the vehicle. The week-long tour includes a series of drop-in events in Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, and North East Lincolnshire, as well as an Open Day at the Flood Innovation Centre in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The programme is as follows:

• Tuesday 20 September, from 10am to 4pm: Riverhead by Freshney Place (outside the multi-storey car park), Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire (DN31 1AA).
• Wednesday 21 September, from 10am to 4pm: The car park at Asda Bilton, East Riding of Yorkshire (HU11 4AL).
• Thursday 22 September, from 10am to 4pm: Queen Victoria Square, Hull (HU1 3RA).
• Friday 23 September: Flood Innovation Centre Open Day for community organisations and businesses at Aura Innovation Centre, Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire (HU13 0GD). This free event comprises two separate sessions –- one for businesses and one for community groups. Lunch is included at both sessions, and places can be booked via the website. As well as touring the Floodmobile, guests will have the opportunity to chat to members of the Flood Innovation Centre team about the free flood surveys and other forms of support on offer to help them boost their flood resilience.

Pip Betts, Project Manager at the Flood Innovation Centre, said: “Property flood resilience is a term that’s applied to a range of measures that reduce the risk of flood damage to our properties, speed up recovery and help us to move back into our properties quicker after flooding. However, we understand that many people who have not come across them before will be unsure what they look like and how they work. That’s why we’re delighted to be bringing the Floodmobile to the Humber region so that people can come along and see the property flood resilience measures for themselves. We hope that as many people as possible will come along and have a look around the Floodmobile or sign up to attend our free Open Day.

“We’re able to offer free flood surveys and ongoing support to eligible businesses and community groups that are keen to protect their premises, employees and other assets against the risk of flooding. We also champion innovation in flood resilience, working with everyone from construction companies keen to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities in this growing sector to land owners who want to learn more about natural flood management. Therefore, the Floodmobile’s tour of the region is also a great opportunity to chat to members of our team about the ongoing support that’s on offer, as well as learning more about the important role that property flood resilience measures play in minimising the impact of flooding.”

Mary Dhonau said: “Having been flooded myself on several occasions, I know the huge benefits that property flood resilience can bring, when it comes to cutting down the length of time it takes to recover from a flood. In lesser floods, it may be that you don’t flood at all and, in bigger floods, it could mean you can return home in only a few days. Far better than the average of nine months a family can be displaced after being flooded.”

For more information about the tour, visit the Flood Innovation Centre's website.