New research by the World Resources Institute and published in the Guardian finds 147 million will be hit by floods by the end of the decade, ‘the numbers will be catastrophic’.

The number of people harmed by floods will double worldwide by 2030, according to a new analysis. The World Resources Institute, a global research group, found that 147 million people will be hit by floods from rivers and coasts annually by the end of the decade, compared with 72 million people just 10 years ago. Damages to urban property will soar from $174bn to $712bn per year by 2050.

Initial insured losses for the floods that hit the UK in February are estimated at £297 million, according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. These floods mainly affected northern England, Wales, and to a lesser extent Northern Ireland and Scotland from Feb 9 to 29, 2020. The floods in the UK were the result of record-breaking rainfall from three named storms, Ciara, Dennis and Jorge.

For that human angle, have a look at this homeowner’s warning about buying on floodplain after the garden of their dream home was swept away in recent floods.