Cumbria Floods One Year On

Members of The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, the pre-eminent professional body for Loss Adjusters and insurance claims personnel were at the forefront of the response to the 20th November 2009 floods that seriously affected parts of Cumbria. As is typical of the high professional standards of CILA members they responded positively and were on the ground within hours, so were able to provide immediate assistance to policyholders as soon as the emergency services permitted access.

The event was different from other recent flooding events because significant damage was caused to relatively small, tight knit communities. The collapse of bridges and road closures brought about further complications. Members of the CILA realised very quickly that businesses in the area that had not been directly affected by the flooding could soon suffer because customers could no longer access the business premises.

Malcolm Hyde, Executive Director of the CILA said, “Our members responded quickly and took a highly dynamic approach to the situation that was evolving. The Institute made contact with local Members of Parliament and the Local Authorities. With the support of the Association of British Insurers a meeting was convened to meet with local businesses, council officials and other interested parties to allay any fears and explain, in general terms, the way insurance policies were likely to respond to the losses sustained.”

We organised public meetings to explain how Business Interruption policies might respond. CILA members were able to clarify certain misunderstandings about insurance cover and the meetings enabled Loss Adjusters to provide reassurance and understanding to the local community.

In excess of 450 people were re-housed on a temporary basis and the ABI have reported that 94% of those people have now been able to return to their homes. Our members liaised with specialist drying firms to facilitate the most effective methods of drying properties. There was considerable disruption to businesses and CILA members were instrumental in engaging with businesses to assist with the resolution of this.

Over the past twelve months there have been considerable difficulties experienced by those living and working in the affected areas. However, one year on, much of the reconstruction work is complete. This is to the credit of insurance company staff, Loss Adjusters, damage mitigation companies, contractors and the local authorities all of whom have worked tirelessly to ensure a return to normality. However, the distinctive resolve of the local community cannot be overstated.

The CILA has continued to liaise closely with the Cumbria Business Economic Recovery Group to assist where appropriate. The lessons learned from previous events have assisted in this instance and the CILA will continue to work with the ABI, Government agencies and Local Authorities to ensure that momentum is maintained and lessons learned are carried forward.

See Also

ABI News Release - Cumbria Floods - One Year on (PDF format, 71Kb)