Flooding in the North West, which has left hundreds of people homeless and affected almost 3,000 properties, will cost insurers about £45m in claims, according to Norwich Union.
Crawford and Company UK managing director Benedict Burke said the loss adjuster had received over 1,000 calls at its claims alert centre, the majority of these being from the Carlisle area.
A Defra spokesperson confirmed a £20m flood alleviation plan for Carlisle was in the planning stages and this could be brought forward as a result of Saturday's storms.
