Flooding Risk

DUBLINIRL

I am going to buy a house soon and am looking to understand how to assess the risk of flooding considering it is expected to occur more frequently going forward.

Any advise on how to do a risk assessment of flooding for a particular house?

Thanks.

listermint

Floodinfo.ie

godtabh

Check the planning file. If it’s a recent build in an estate near a watercourse it will likely have an FRA.

JVince

Beware of getting ahead of yourself because of media hysteria.

Middleton floods were a combination of extreme heavy rain, soaked ground and specifically high tide. Middleton itself has extensive history of flooding, but this was exceptional.

Simply check if the house is near a slow flowing river. Is it in a valley/dip where water can run down from other areas. And then maybe check with a couple of locals.

Remember, 99%+ of homes have near zero risk of flooding.

Dial Hard

1. Is it near a watercourse?

2. If so, is it on a floodplain?

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269935#Comment_121269935

I don't think it's hysteria. Fairly prudent to want to check these sorts of things tbh.

Fairly large impact on home insurance and future sale.

Less hysteria, more sensible frankly. To want to have this checked off prior to purchase.

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269886#Comment_121269886

I've had a look and can't figure out how to use it to get an idea of the flood risk. Have you used this?

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269896#Comment_121269896

The main house I'm looking at is over 10 years old. Can I get the planning file? From Dublin city council?

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269935#Comment_121269935

It's not just because of Middleton but doesn't hurt to have an idea of the risk when making the biggest purchase of someone's life.

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270116#Comment_121270116

These are things I need to figure out. Could you advise how I would check this?

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270426#Comment_121270426

On the flood info website, use the magnifying glass icon to search for a place name, and then toggle the "layers" which have different risk levels. Start with Midleton to get an idea of what a floody area looks like, then look at wherever you're buying.

Alternatively, maybe try to get a house insurance quote using the house address and they'll tell you if there is a flooding risk.

Or pay a surveyor to do this for you once you're at survey stage.

T-Maxx

Also check the SFRA (Strategic Flood Risk Assessment) done as part of the CDP (County Development Plan).

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270144#Comment_121270144

It is hysteria especially when you get an event like this.

A puddle in a field and some media are asking how planning can be given for development.

At the end of the day it's not rocket science to work out if you are generally safe which 99% of dwellings are.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271129#Comment_121271129

It's not,

You're entirely wrong. But sure look. People are wrong often and that's OK.

The single biggest purchase in someone's life and you're flippant about an important aspect of it.

Quality reporting as they say..

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270416#Comment_121270416

Yes.

if you want to pm address or site I’ll post link.

Gumbo

Being located within a flood plain also has implications on future extensions etc

I done one recently and we knew we were slightly touching a flood plain (Sandyford Area) and I had to design in a flood defence strategy. This was a typical house in a typical estate.

Green roof on the rear extension for SUDS, water butts and demountable water barriers.

godtabh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121270416#Comment_121270416

just look it up on their planning portal. Its map based.

godtabh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271129#Comment_121271129

I worked on a development of 350 houses. Got refused planning permssion as ABP inspector visited site after it rained. He though the developmetn was in a flood risk.

Not a watercouse any near site. Pluvial flooding that disappated probaly within the hour.

ec_pc

Floodinfo is only indicative, it is not used by insurance companies. From experience, don't even bother with floodinfo.ie. it can be out of date plus the OPW will not really engage on any queries regarding the source, quality or accuracy of the data and try to pass the buck to the local authority.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269886#Comment_121269886

Not sure why, but that link didn't want to open for me. This below works.

https://www.floodinfo.ie/

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271429#Comment_121271429

Thanks, it would be more useful to know how to source the info as we are looking at a few houses.

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272095#Comment_121272095

Could you share the link? Thanks.

DUBLINIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272122#Comment_121272122

Could you recommend other sources?

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276751#Comment_121276751

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276758#Comment_121276758

The link is to the relevant LA you are looking in. Google

Dublin City council planning search….

replace DCC with fingal, cork, Louth, DLRCC etc

ec_pc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276766#Comment_121276766

This is the huge problem, there are no other publicly available sources. The insurance co's all seem to use a private flood modelling system and that's what they base their flood risk assessment against. That private system is is more accurate than floodinfo and does not always match information on floodinfo.

T-Maxx

I seriously doubt it's more accurate. Unless of course they did site specific modelling for their cover areas, in which case it'll be the most comprehensive and accurate data out there bar none. I reckon it's simply the available flood datasets with 'their' risk factors built into it.