Flood recovery—how to keep your business moving in the event of a flood

Examine your building’s structure

If access to your building is possible, start from outer structure(s) and take photos as you go.

• Inspect your property externally for immediate dangers or damage.
• Secure any unsafe areas with caution tape and keep these areas cordoned off until a determination is made regarding safety.
• If it is safe to go inside, do not turn on the lights. Use torches to examine walls, floors, doors and windows to ensure the building is not in obvious danger of collapsing.
• Avoid areas with flooded electrical circuits and appliances until the power has been cut off.
• Inspect the foundations for cracks and other signs of damage, paying particular attention to retaining walls.
• Watch and listen for leaking gas pipes, electricity cables or flammable materials in the water (such as fuel).
• Complete and submit a claim form at the earliest opportunity with as much photographic evidence as possible for your insurance broker.
• Even if the power is still on, limit your use of mobile phones and battery-operated radios to preserve their battery life in case power failure occurs.

Contact the appropriate people and services

Based on your review of the property, you may need to contact some or all of the following:

• Emergency services such as the fire department and utilities companies.
• A security company should you require surveillance due to significant damage to the property that may allow entry to trespassers (and supply a list of approved employees).
• Your insurance broker so that an adjuster can be sent to the site. If you are a Gallagher customer and have Business Assist cover, then contact the helpline for one of our internal former loss adjusters to help you prepare your claim.
• Professional services that can help reduce further damage, such as cleaning companies, electricians, plumbers and biohazard companies, to help reduce further damage/issues that may result from standing water.

Prepare for future flood events swiftly

Immediately after a flood can be the best time to plan ahead for a similar event while the problems you are experiencing are fresh in your mind.

• Review your flood plan, identify areas for improvement, and update as necessary.
• Replace and restock items on your disaster supply list.
• Carry out the necessary mitigation measures as directed by your broker or insurer.
• Review your overall business continuity plan, including your supply chain resilience, to see if your arrangements are fit for purpose.
• Consider whether your indemnity period on your business interruption insurance policy is sufficient should your business experience another flooding event of similar or greater impact.

Prepare what you need to make a flood claim

Before a commercial flood insurance claim can be initiated:

• Provide your claims handler with as much detail as possible, such as:
  • Preliminary damage assessment report with documented photos and/or videos of the damage.
  • Interior and exterior asset inventory with pre-flood photos and/or videos, if possible.
• Identify and sort damaged versus undamaged contents, equipment and stock.
• Secure your premises to prevent further loss or damage.

Things to note during the claims process:

• During and immediately after a flood event, there will likely be a high-volume claim reporting period and the adjuster assignment may take some time.
• Access to the flooded areas may be limited for a period of time until the water recedes and it is common to have standing water that becomes polluted, potentially causing further issues.
• If you need to repair any buildings, competition for labour and materials will be high in an already challenging construction sector, where supply chain issues are still being felt.
• If you are already a Gallagher client, your Gallagher representative is here to assist and ensure you are in control of the claim progress—including working closely with your claims adjuster.

How robust is your business continuity plan?

Being impacted by a flood is a real test of your organisation’s business continuity plan and sometimes it’s not until an unexpected event occurs that you realise there are areas where improvement may be necessary. If you would like our specialist Risk Management team to work alongside you in reviewing your plan, you can find out more on our business continuity planning page or get in touch with us directly on 0800 138 7538.