Thank you for sharing your experiences
Flooding can significantly impact people, homes, businesses, and communities. Between August 2024 and March 2025, Project Groundwater invited residents, businesses and landlords across nine pilot communities to complete a Flood Experience Questionnaire (FEQ), helping us better understand local flood experiences and inform future resilience work.
The Resilience workstream, led by RAB Consultants, analysed 248 responses from across the pilot communities, with 276 submissions received in total. The findings provide valuable insight into how flooding is experienced, how prepared people feel, and where support may be needed to help communities become more resilient.
One of the clearest messages from the questionnaire was that flooding affects communities in many different ways. While some respondents experienced floodwater entering their property, many others described flooded roads, disrupted services, difficulties travelling, impacts on health and wellbeing, and concerns about future flooding.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences. Your local knowledge is helping Project Groundwater and its partners better understand the challenges communities face and shape future flood resilience support.
Read the reports
Choose the version that best suits your needs.
Community Summary Report
A shorter, plain-English summary of the main findings, designed for residents, community groups, and anyone who wants the highlights.
Technical Summary Report
The detailed analysis, methodology, community comparisons and supporting evidence.
Five things we learned
Groundwater flooding matters
Many respondents identified groundwater as a source of flooding, either on its own or alongside river, surface water or sewer flooding.
Many people were unaware of flood risk
Of the respondents who answered the relevant question, 52% said they were unaware of flood risk when they moved into their property.
Flooding affects whole communities
150 respondents reported indirect impacts. Flooded roads and road closures were the most frequently selected indirect impact.
Property Flood Resilience is not yet widespread
36 respondents reported existing resilience measures, while many respondents showed interest in learning more about practical support.
Flooding can affect health and wellbeing
49 respondents reported an impact on health or wellbeing, showing that consequences can continue beyond physical damage.
Community Voices
Respondents described both practical and personal impacts. Quotations are presented anonymously.
“House took six months to dry out, two ground rooms unusable for this time.”
“Just fear as the water rose.”
“We have to raise cellar contents above flood line, and the cellar becomes inaccessible except with boots.”
Building a Lasting Legacy: Using community evidence to support resilience
Improve awareness
Provide clearer information about groundwater flood risk, warning services and preparedness.
Target support
Use FEQ evidence to help focus Property Flood Resilience surveys and advice.
Broaden engagement
Reach tenants, shorter-term residents and communities with lower response rates.
Share learning
Use the evidence to support Project Groundwater legacy work and wider learning about groundwater flooding.