Understanding Flood Risk Data in Your Report

Flood risk data in Uncovero reports comes directly from government agencies: the Environment Agency in England, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland, and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in Wales. Uncovero does not calculate or estimate flood risk itself; every figure shown is the classification assigned by the relevant agency.

What the risk bands mean

Agencies typically classify flood risk into bands such as high, medium, and low likelihood, assessed separately for different flood sources: river flooding, coastal or sea flooding, and surface water flooding. A single property can have a different rating for each source. For example, a location can be low risk for river flooding but high risk for surface water flooding, since these are caused by different mechanisms and modelled separately.

What "risk" is actually measuring

These classifications are typically based on the modelled likelihood of flooding occurring in a given year, not a prediction that flooding will definitely happen. A "high risk" classification generally means a greater modelled annual probability of flooding compared to lower bands, based on historical data, topography, and drainage modelling.

What this data does not tell you

• Whether a specific property has ever actually flooded
• Whether flood defences have been installed since the model was last updated
• Insurance availability or cost, which insurers assess using their own criteria

If flood risk is a significant factor in your decision, the relevant government checker (linked from your report) allows you to look up the same data directly at the source, and a conveyancer or surveyor can advise on flood history and defences for a specific property during a purchase.