Flooding can happen very quickly. It can affect many homes and businesses, even if they're not directly at risk
Many people think that flooding will never happen to them - but it could. Almost five million people in England are at risk of flooding; this is set to increase with a changing climate. Our local area is at risk of fluvial, groundwater and surface water flooding.
When a property does flood, it has a huge impact on individuals, businesses and communities. Return to normal life can take months.
You can't always stop flooding. However, you can reduce its impact by planning ahead.
If you live in a flood risk area, do what you can now to reduce the risk to yourself and your property. Don't wait until flooding occurs as you may not have enough time to do anything.
You can prepare yourself for flooding by:
Here's a step-by-step guide to make your own flood defence:
During an emergency, or when there are flood warnings:
You can reach our telephone contact centre on 01354 654321.
You should:
Our policy is not to provide sandbags to residents or businesses.
However, in very exceptional circumstances, we will try to provide sandbags or other assistance to residents in domestic properties that are at risk of serious flooding. Businesses are not covered by this service. Our limited stock of sandbags are prioritised for 'collective protection' e.g across a road, river bank etc.
If your home or business is likely to flood, you should keep a stock of ready to use sandbags and/or sand. You can buy sandbags from hardware shops. Plastic bags filled with soil are also a good alternative.