London’s rich come to grips with floods on their doorstep

As London struggles to adapt to the reality of more frequent and powerful floods, its wealthier corners are emerging as some of the most at risk.

Last month in the affluent London neighborhood of South Hampstead, homeowners packed a community hall for an event dedicated to preparing for the next big flood.

Attendees had good reason to be there. South Hampstead - where the average price for a home is over £1 million ($1.3 million) - stands out as one of the areas that was hard hit by flash floods in July 2021. Back then, a month’s worth of rainfall was dumped on London in just a few hours. Some of the UK capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods - Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster - were among the worst affected.

It was a seismic event that altered peoples’ perceptions of what it means to liv