What to do before and after a flood – a guide for business owners
Published on: November 27, 2025
Flooding can be devastating for businesses, causing property damage, disrupting operations and leading to costly downtime. Whether you’re in a high-risk area or simply want to be prepared, knowing what to do before and after a flood can make all the difference.
At QMT Commercial Insurance Brokers, we’re committed to helping businesses build resilience – not just through finding insurance cover, but through proactive planning. Because when it comes to risk, prevention is always better than cure.
Be proactive with these helpful tips, and always check with official flood agencies for the most up-to-date guidance.
Before a flood: prepare and protect
- Know your risk
- Check if your premises are in a flood-prone area using government flood maps.
- Understand the types of flooding that could affect you (river, coastal, surface water).
- Review your insurance
- Ensure your commercial property insurance includes flood cover.
- Consider business interruption insurance to help protect income during downtime.
- Keep copies of your policy documents in a secure, accessible location.
- Create a flood plan
- Assign roles and responsibilities to staff.
- Identify critical equipment and stock that need protection or relocation.
- Plan evacuation routes and emergency contacts.
- Protect your premises
- Install flood barriers or sandbags at entry points.
- Raise electrical sockets and valuable equipment above ground level.
- Store important documents and data backups offsite or in the cloud.
- Communicate with your team
- Train staff on emergency procedures.
- Share your flood plan and ensure everyone knows what to do.
After a flood: respond and recover
- Stay safe
- Do not enter flooded buildings until they’ve been declared safe.
- Watch out for electrical hazards and structural damage.
- Document the damage
- Take photos and videos of all affected areas and items.
- Keep a record of damaged stock, equipment and property.
- Contact your insurer
- Notify your insurance provider as soon as possible.
- Provide documentation and follow their claims process.
- Clean up carefully
- Use professional services for water removal and sanitisation.
- Dispose of contaminated items safely.
- Review and rebuild
- Assess what worked and what didn’t in your flood plan.
- Update your insurance and risk strategy to reflect lessons learned.
Let QMT Commercial help you with insurance protection
At QMT Commercial, we work with businesses to help ensure they have the right cover in place. Contact us today:
