Advice to businesses ahead of "Beast from the East" flood risk as they are urged to "act early"
EXPERTS have shared advice to businesses ahead of a “Beast from the East” set to hit the UK this week with snow, rainfall and flooding expected.
The Met Office has warned that further rainfall this week could exacerbate flooding in the south-west of England after Storm Chandra.
A yellow rain alert has been issued for Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset from today into Tuesday.
The alert is from 12pm on Monday through to 9am on Tuesday, with the Met Office warning of flood risk for properties and businesses.
And it has also been reported that snow could hit on Thursday and Friday this week, bringing what has been described as a “Beast from the East”.
Businesses were closed or cut off by Storm Chandra flooding last week.
Roland Llewellin, CEO of Genpower Ltd, shared some advice to businesses who could struggle with the coming weather.
He continued: "Storm disruption hits businesses in three predictable places: power, drainage, and clean-up. Preparation comes down to three decisions before forecasts turn urgent.
"1. What must stay powered and your backup plan.
"2. Where water will collect first and how you’ll move it fast.
"3. What blocks recovery and whether you’ve got kit and a plan ready.
“Flood damage alone costs the UK £1.3billion a year. Act early. Once conditions deteriorate recovery gets slower and pricier.”
Kate Underwood, Founder at Southampton-based Kate Underwood HR and Training, shared what businesses should do if they decide to close during severe weather.
She added: "Storms don’t sink small businesses. Silence and muddle do. You need comms going both ways, fast. If you shut the doors, that’s your call and you’ll normally still be paying wages even if nobody can work. So don’t guess. Set a simple check-in: staff confirm they’re safe, whether they can work from home, and when they’ll update you again.
"No reply? Chase it. Don’t assume. If someone can’t travel safely, don’t go full dictator. Your duty of care comes first, and nothing kills trust quicker than ‘risk your neck or lose pay’. And check your insurance before the snow lands. Business Interruption/Disruption cover can be the difference between an annoying week and a cashflow nightmare, but only if you’ve actually got it and you follow the conditions.
“Practical tip: add one line to your Severe Weather policy today: if we close, we record who was available, what work was offered, and what was agreed. Get this wrong and it could cost you thousands.”
Kundan Bhaduri, Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at London-based The Kushman Group, criticised the response to poor weather in the UK.
He added: "We are a G7 nation with Scandinavian tax rates but an infrastructure that collapses like a cheap gazebo the moment the mercury drops. For the laptop class, this is just another excuse to ‘work from home’ in pyjamas, but for the real economy, those working in manufacturing, logistics, or hospitality, this is a productivity disaster.
"You cannot rely on the state to keep the lights on or the roads open these days. The ‘resilience’ of our national grid is a myth held together by hope and gaffer tape."
