Sedgwick, a global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits, and integrated business solutions, is anticipating a surge in subsidence claims due to the ongoing period of unusually hot and dry weather in the UK.
The company’s weekly update on subsidence volumes shows that there has been a rise of more than 350% over the past six weeks, and this is expected to increase further into September as weather conditions continue to affect already dangerously dry soil conditions.
Subsidence is a particularly serious issue for properties built on clay soil near trees, as loss of moisture can cause the soil to dry and shrink, resulting in ground movement that can impact the foundations of buildings and damage properties.
Sedgwick noted that places like London are at high risk of subsidence damage, as many of the city’s homes are constructed on clay-based soils.
Data from the UK’s Meteorological Office Rainfall and Evaporation Calculation System (MORECS) shows that readings increased from 100 to 302.5 over June through mid-August, and Sedgwick expects that the maximum value of 308 will be reached by the end of August.
Kevin Williams, Head of Subsidence at Sedgwick, commented: “With live remote crack monitoring in place; feeding back data every eight hours, we are able to anticipate claim volumes before they occur, along with tracking soil conditions, level monitoring readings and long-term weather forecasts. “
“We also have collated soil samples and weather information to help predict likely claims volumes for this year,” he added.
Current readings suggest that the soil is drier than the previous surge year of 2003, but not yet as dry as in 2006, when there were maximum MORECS readings for four consecutive weeks.
