The Energy and Environment Institute is working with Living with Water to understand the impacts of the 2007 and 2013 floods, current concerns about flooding, and what people have been able to do themselves to feel more protected.
This will help build a picture of the city’s current resilience to flooding, which can be reviewed periodically during the Living with Water project.
Hull Household Flood Survey
Our first major activity was a survey 450 households in three flood affected areas of Hull. The survey asked residents about whether people experienced flooding in 2007 or 2013 and how it affected them; whether people feel at risk of flooding now (2018); and whether residents have taken any measures themselves to reduce their risk of flooding and what residents understand about city-wide measures taken by the Living with Water partners. It also recorded important socio-demographic information including age, disability and ethnicity.
A summary report for the study was released last July, and highlighted over a third of households surveyed have yet to take measures to better protect themselves from future flood events.
Key findings included:
- 51% of respondents who were affected by flooding reported health impacts as a result. 43% reported mental health impacts, with 19% reporting physical health impacts - (12% reported both).
- Almost a quarter of respondents said the flooding had impacted their work life
- 47% of respondents had ensured their home insurance covers them for flood damage.
- Only 9% of respondents had prepared a flood kit, and only 6% had a flood plan in their household.
- 51% of respondents ranked their protection from future flooding as ‘very low’ or ‘low.’
In total, 457 households took part in the survey.
The full report for the Hull Household Survey has now been published. You can read it here.
Haltemprice Household Flood Survey
A separate study examined the impact of flooding in 2007 on the Haltemprice ward of Hull.
Haltemprice was severely impacted by surface water flooding in 2007, has suffered a number of subsequent flood events, and is vulnerable to further flooding.
Over 150 households in Haltemprice shared their experiences of flooding, forming a new summary report which is available now.
One respondent said of the events in 2007: “It was incredibly frightening - feeling the whole situation was out of our control.
“We were bailing water for 12 hours from our garden, with neighbours helping out.
“The most upsetting thing for us was my husband getting a call from school to pick my daughter (at the time aged five) from school as the whole school was flooded and the children were hysterical and incredibly frightened.”
You can read the summary report, led by Dr Ramsden, for the Haltemprice Household Survey here.