Analysis published by online flood report provider, RiskCentral, reveals that many of the UK’s inland tourist destinations are at a high risk, despite being located far from rivers and the sea.

Sites identified as “at risk” include Buckingham Palace, the Emirates Stadium in London, Alton Towers Theme Park and Milton Keynes Shopping Centre.

RiskCentral says that surface water flooding, which occurs when heavy rainfall saturates drainage systems, actually poses a greater risk to British homes and businesses than any other source of flooding.

According to DEFRA, 2.8 million homes are at risk from surface water compared to 1.4 million from rivers and the sea.

The publication of RiskCentral’s analysis follows the recent news that flood insurance payouts in 2012 were the highest for 5 years and, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the cost of claims last year topped £1bn following the wettest recorded year in England and Wales.

Managing director of Ambiental Technical Solutions Ltd, the company behind RiskCentral, Justin Butler, says: “We conducted analysis on ten well known tourist destinations in the UK, to highlight the pervasive risk of surface water flooding to buildings across the country.

“With flooding now the greatest natural threat to businesses and homes in the UK, we want home owners and buyers to be more aware of the potential risks to their property,” adds Butler.

Leigh Stringer

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