Many people caught up in major flooding in Camden in 2021 did not know how to seek help, a report has found.
Residents properties were damaged and businesses scrambled to install emergency measures to stem the tide on July 12 and 25 last year.
The Flood Investigation Report, published last week by Camden Council, outlines the impact of the floods, the main factors that contributed and recommendations for what can be done to mitigate future flooding.
The report, by consultancy Aecom, states 103 properties across Camden were flooded, with 32 experiencing internal damage on July 12.
When rainstorms returned on July 25, only three properties were flooded, but none internally.
The report is divided into "hotspots" with the Hampstead Kingsgate (West Hampstead) area experiencing the highest number of floods on July 12, when 15 out of 18 affected properties were internally flooded.
On the same day Thames Water recorded 34 flooded properties.
On the Heath Watershed site – comprising Hampstead Heath station, South End Road and Keats Grove – 25 properties were flooded on July 12, seven of them internally.
Areas around Dartmouth Park, Belsize Park and Maitland Park, Kentish Town, also experienced flood damage.
In a questionnaire 87% of the respondents did not know how to report a flood.
Similarly 73% of respondents stated they did not know how to improve their property’s flood protection, and 93% did not know which organisation was responsible for managing flood risk.
Recommendations of the report include communicating to residents how they should report floods, as well as how they can reduce the risk of their property flooding. Residents should also be encouraged to report gullies needing clearing.
Cllr Adam Harrison, lead member for a sustainable Camden, said flash flooding is another reminder of the climate emergency.
He said: "We expect to see increased rainfall in the years to come. While we cannot prevent flooding from happening entirely, we will do everything we can to stop it.
"Within the borough, we will continue to do what we can to green up our streets, introduce sustainable urban drainage (SUDS) to help mitigate periods of heavy rainfall, and also press hard for the Thames Water part of the sewer network to expand to cope with more frequent large storm events."
The report will be incorporated into a flood risk management strategy for Camden, which will be published for consultation in late summer.
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