When Storm Chandra hit the UK in January 2026, bringing record-breaking rainfall to Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, it served as a stark reminder of the potential flood risk facing assets across the country.
Whilst approximately 400 properties flooded, the story could have been far worse – approximately 24,500 properties were successfully protected by flood defences, with Property Level Protection (PLP) measures playing a crucial role in safeguarding homes and businesses.
With consideration of – and adaptation for – climate change becoming increasingly critical, the demand for flood risk due diligence reports to inform potential purchase or divestment of assets is growing rapidly.
Expert Due Diligence: Turning Risk into Opportunity
Our Flood Risk Consultants at Lucion Delta-Simons Ltd have extensive experience undertaking site-specific due diligence appraisals to identify potential liabilities and suitable mitigation. We assess the level of risk from all sources of flooding including tidal, fluvial, surface water, groundwater and reservoirs.
Publicly available maps and automated desktop assessments frequently flag more severe flood risk ratings which can often stall or derail transactions due to concerns over damage, devaluation and insurance. Bespoke reports enable a detailed consideration of site-specific flooding mechanisms and often result in a lower risk rating.
We request flood modelling outputs from the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to obtain detailed data on anticipated flood levels and depths to determine the potential impact and associated risks to sites. Where the assessment indicates that flooding presents a risk, we identify opportunities for implementing PLP.
Property Level Protection
PLP focuses on asset-specific measures and alterations which help to prevent water ingress into buildings and/or limit the impact of flooding on operational use of a site. It includes measures such as the installation of flood-resistant doors, windows or shutters and demountable flood barriers.
This provides an evidence-based approach to de-risk investments, lowering risk ratings within flood risk due diligence reports and providing our clients with a clear and proportionate set of recommendations to mitigate on-site risks.
Practical Solutions for Real-World Conditions
Flood doors can replace existing doors at access points where a potential risk of ingress has been identified. Demountable barriers can be kept securely on-site and deployed upon receipt of a flood warning in locations where flood doors are not suitable.
Lucion can also produce the associated Flood Warning and Evacuation Plans to inform the response to flood warnings such as when and where deployment of demountable barriers is required.
Long-Term Asset Protection
Aside from lowering risk ratings within due diligence reports, PLP can have significant benefits in mitigating flood risk to assets across their operational lifecycle and reducing business recovery times following a flood event.
Lucion has a strong working relationship with a key manufacturer and supplier of PLP for commercial, light industrial and residential properties. This enables us to support our clients in implementing flood protection to industry-leading standards across their assets.
The Time to Act is Now
Storm Chandra was the seventh named storm of the 2025-26 season, occurring in what has been described as one of the wettest winters on record for many parts of England. With climate change driving more frequent and severe weather events, PLP could be crucial to protecting your investments.
Our Flood and Climate Due Diligence services include:
- Flood Risk Due Diligence reports
- Flood Risk Appraisals for investment, divestment & forward-funding
- Peer Reviews
- FLOODScreen (a rapid portfolio assessment tool)
- Physical Risk Climate Appraisals
- Flood Warning & Evacuation Plans
Our Water Services team is led by Chartered members of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), bringing extensive practical knowledge and experience across England, Wales, and Scotland.
If you have any questions, or would like to request support on your upcoming projects, please contact Liam Stewart ([email protected]) or Rachel Shepherd ([email protected]).
