Ready Together
Five ways to improve support for UK flood survivors
More than 100 flood survivors took part in this research, alongside the organisations that support flood-affected communities. What they told us points to five changes. All figures below come from the Stories After The Storms report by the National Emergencies Trust and Lancaster University.
Information is support: provide a clear path forward
Survivors described the first hours as chaotic, with no plan and no one to ask. Almost half (43%) received no professional support at all with their practical or wellbeing needs. A named local contact, a checklist of first steps, and early signposting by councils, insurers and charities would change that.
Financial shock is immediate: support must be too
Costs land on the first day: accommodation deposits, skip hire, replacement white goods, and hundreds of pounds to run dehumidifiers. Of those who received financial support, only 10% got it within the first week. Quick cash lets families cover essentials, start the clean-up and avoid debt.
Close the gaps: design recovery for everyone
Older residents, people with health conditions and families on low incomes are hit hardest and shut out most often. Of survivors who received professional support with practical or wellbeing needs, 59% had difficulty accessing it. Recovery needs simpler paperwork, proactive outreach and processes designed with lived experience in mind.
Hidden impacts: make mental health part of recovery
Mental health was affected for 69% of survivors, and only a third of those (33%) received professional support for it. Counselling when people need it, check-ins from councils, and stronger local networks all reduce the strain. Emotional care has to sit alongside practical and financial help.
More resilient together: resource community recovery
When formal systems faltered, it was family, neighbours and local groups who arrived first. Nearly half (48%) received informal support from a flood action group or a similar group. These networks need coordination, supplies and recognition, not just goodwill.
Read the full report.
Download the report (PDF, 1.2MB) (opens in a new tab)About the study
We ran this study with Lancaster University and with people who have lived through flooding. It asks what support flood survivors receive, what works, and what is missing.
The findings draw on three sources: interviews with the charities, funders and community groups that support flood-affected communities; one-to-one interviews with 14 flood survivors; and a survey of more than 95 survivors, most of them flooded within the last five years.
This work follows Bee The Difference, our 2023 study with Lancaster University with young people affected by the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. That project showed how listening closely to survivors exposes gaps in the system and changes how organisations respond.
IKEA, a Corporate Patron of the National Emergencies Trust, funded this research.
The voices in this report are powerful and humbling. They remind us that recovery is not just about repairing homes, but about rebuilding lives. And they challenge all of us, businesses, government, charities and communities, to do better, and to do it together.
From experience: guidance from a flood survivor
Heather Shepherd co-founded Flooded People UK and is a volunteer survivor advisor to the National Emergencies Trust. She helped design this study. She has been flooded repeatedly and has thirty years of experience in flood risk. This is her guidance.
If you have been flooded
- Contact your insurance provider as soon as you can, if you have insurance.
- Photograph everything, including the water mark on the wall and every damaged possession.
- Take out anything that holds water, such as carpets and sofas. If you are insured, throw nothing away until your insurer says you can.
- Record an electricity meter reading. Insurance covers the cost of running dehumidifiers and fans.
- Open windows upstairs and downstairs when you are at home, to move air through the house.
- Carry a small notebook and pen. Write down names, organisations, job roles and the main points of every conversation. Notes on a phone can be deleted by accident.
- Join Flooded People UK at floodedpeople.org.uk (opens in a new tab).
Six ways to help someone in your community
- Check on people who have been flooded, especially older or disabled neighbours. They often need help most and ask for it least.
- Find people who can wash clothes, look after pets, lend tools, give lifts to work or school, or offer a room for the night.
- Set up a WhatsApp or Facebook group so volunteers can coordinate. These groups bring people together, but they can also raise anxiety, so keep an eye on that.
- Open a community space where people can get food and company.
- Tell people about grants from charities, councils and government, and help them apply.
- Keep up with news from the National Emergencies Trust.
Mental health support
Flooding affects mental health long after the water has gone. If this page has brought something up for you, or you are worried about someone else, these organisations can help.
The National Flood Forum (opens in a new tab) supports people affected by flooding in England and Wales.
The Scottish Flood Forum (opens in a new tab) supports people affected by flooding in Scotland.
Mind (opens in a new tab) provides information and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
