Flood level

A flood policy reads a river, not a rainstorm. Each insured site is assigned to the closest upstream gauge whose behaviour matches the site’s flooding history. The index is the highest hourly stage reading during the event, in centimetres above the gauge’s published warning level. The warning level is set by the river authority and is not ours to move, which keeps the policy honest.

Tier 1 starts at 118 cm above warning level and pays 25 % of the limit. Tier 2 starts at 164 cm and pays 50 %. Tier 3 starts at 231 cm and pays the full limit. The gauge is the point where your site and the river are linked by a number. When a gauge is damaged or silent for more than 3 hours at the peak, the calculation agent switches to the next gauge assigned in your schedule and records the swap.

Flood level is where basis risk is most visible, so we show it in the quote. A site that sits on a levee will flood later than the gauge says; a site in a side valley will flood earlier. Before you buy, we replay the last ten years of the gauge against your claims history and give you the gap as a figure. If the gap is too wide to be useful, we say so and suggest a different gauge or a Rainfall policy next to it.

Prevention is the longest of any peril. River forecasts reach 72 hours, so the alert comes with time to do things that matter: lift pallets, move vehicles, close a lock, call in staff. Alerts are tied to the same gauge as the payment, so the number you are warned about is the number that pays.