Working with Zurich Municipal to improve Thurrock Council's flood response and asset management

Overview: key stats

• £1.1b UK flood losses per annum (source: Zurich flood guide)
• 5.2m properties at risk of flooding from rivers, seas or surface water (source: Zurich flood guide)
• x5 increase in flood losses expected by 2050 (source: floodlist.com)

The problem

Heavy rainfall can cause flooding on roads in low-lying routes or through water run-off from adjacent land, and when sediment is washed onto the road by overland flows it can fill gullies, impacting their performance.

Council highways teams are responsible for the management of surface water drainage assets, but networks can be large and costly to maintain and repair. Thurrock Council has been monitoring drainage performance in high-risk areas, which include properties with vulnerable residents and critical assets like schools.

In the past, rainfall in and around Thurrock had caused drainage overtopping, prompting the council to focus on preventing gullies overflowing in these areas.

The solution

As a result of their proactive flood risk management, Thurrock Council signed up to the Previsico Flood Intel Platform available via their insurer, Zurich Municipal.

The council then prioritised 14 high-risk areas which have a history of water ingress and flooding issues.

On 1 September 2023, Previsico sent a series of alerts for Chadwell and Tilbury. The Previsico Flood Intel Platform showed an increase of water in certain locations. The council were already primed for a response based on their knowledge of low drainage capacity in the area.

The council have set up two teams, Thurrock Council's Weather Warning Group and Emergency Response Team, to deal with weather events (including flood events). These alerts prompted both teams to provide adequate responses.

The benefits

The Previsico dashboard has allowed key stakeholders to make informed decisions as to when to instruct inspections for the duty officers and the wider teams who respond to flood events.

These early warnings have been proven to improve the council's understanding of asset conditions, facilitating proactive maintenance instead of simply responding after an event has already occurred.