Insurers expect U.K. flood claims

COCKERMOUTH, England—Flooding in Britain, which caused at least two deaths, is expected to cost insurers as much as £100 million ($165.1 million).

Heavy rains during the past week have been particularly devastating in the Cumbria region in northwestern England, where several bridges collapsed as rivers rose. A police officer was killed in a bridge collapse near Cockermouth and reports said a canoeist died in a river accident in Devon in southwestern England. Parts of Scotland and Wales also have experienced heavy damage from flooding.

The flooding in Cumbria and southern Scotland is likely to cost insurers about £100 million, according to the Assn. of British Insurers in London. The cost could climb as more complex claims, such as those for business interruption losses, are filed, the ABI said.

“Once flood waters have receded and the damage to homes and businesses is assessed, the hard work begins,” said Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health, in a statement. “Properties will take a long time to dry out fully and it could be many months before houses and businesses are restored to the condition they were in before the flooding,” he said.