Summer floods cost Britain £3bn, which means that 2007 is the worst year for weather-related damage, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Inadequate drainage was the cause of much of the damage, which cost £1bn more than the £2bn of damage caused by the 1990 storms.
£3bn is such an alarming figure that the ABI is calling on a limit of the number of houses that may be built on land that is vulnerable to flooding.
Drainage responsibility should be up to the Environment Agency, say the ABI. The Environment Agency is currently responsible for flood management.
Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the ABI, said: ?This summer?s devastating floods highlight the urgent need for a long-term strategy based around more investment, national coordination and better land use planning.?
The Environment Agency responded by saying that the ABI also has a role to play: ?The ABI could begin to help people adapt to climate change by rebuilding or repairing flood-damaged properties to flood resilient standards now.?
The £3bn cost of the summer floods, as declared today by the Association of British Insurers, means that 2007 is the worst year for weather-related damage.
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