Environment Agency: Public Flood Survey

The Environment Agency (EA) aims to build a nation of people who understand their risk to flooding and coastal change, know their responsibilities and how to take action. The annual Public Flood Survey (carried out by us in 202/21, 2021/22 and 2024) seeks to track key measures related to flood awareness, and a key objective of the latest survey in 2024 was to provide insight to help drive usage of digital services.

Prior to 2024 surveying was primarily undertaken over the telephone, with an online booster survey with 18-34s via an access panel. In 2024 a revised approach was adopted, with the surveying switched to a mainly online method, with a boost of  those defined as digitally excluded to ensure their views were included in the final sample. A further boost sample of those living in postcodes where at least one flood warning had been issued in the previous year was also undertaken. Alterations were made to the sampling approach to ensure that only postcodes where all residential properties had the same level of flood risk were included. As previously, quota targets were applied to risk level, age and gender to ensure a broadly representative sample. Results were analysed using significance testing, but we also introduced cluster analysis (K-Means) and key driver analysis (Regression) to provide a deeper understanding of the factors behind public views and behaviours relating to flooding.

The research enabled the EA team to continue to track key measures relating to flooding and flood awareness. The report and debrief also provided insights into current interaction with flood warnings and digital services, including drivers of using services and also barriers to doing so. This enabled the EA to identify how to drive use of services and the public’s preparedness for flooding generally.