Floods are a part of life in many regions in the UK. While they might not always make headlines, they can have a significant impact on our daily lives. Being prepared and knowing how to respond can make all the difference. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through essential flood safety tips and give you advice and tips on how to stay safe during a flood.
While this blog offers a brief overview of flood safety measures, to learn more please follow the links and check out our dedicated pages, toolkits and resources available on our website.
This blog has been written by a member of the Newground Flood Team.
Flood safety begins with preparation. Before a flood event occurs, critical flood safety measures should be considered. Through planning and preparation, efforts can be made to reduce the impact of flooding to ensure the highest possible level of resilience and safety.
Follow the links below to learn more and read more about these essential flood safety measures.
Understanding whether your property is in a flood-risk area is crucial, as it gives you a head start to prepare your property for potential future flood events. The Environment Agency offers a free ‘Flood Warning and Alert Service’ that enables people at risk of flooding from main rivers and the sea, to receive flood alerts and warnings by telephone, text and email.
Flood alerts and warnings are a great way to keep up to date with the flood risk posed by the river and sea conditions in your area, allowing you to be pre-warned of any risks towards your property. You can check your flood risk and sign up for flood warnings by visiting our ‘Am I at Risk’ page, by clicking here.
Keep informed with weather forecasts and local news stations for updates. Stay up to date with local weather and travel on the TV, radio or social media.
A flood plan should contain all the steps you would take if a flood alert or warning is issued, along with the address of an evacuation centre and important contact details, such as family members who you may need to contact during a flood. Make sure you are aware of other evacuation centres and have alternate routes, in case the surrounding area and roads becomes cut off. Additionally, have a plan for relocating your vehicle to a safe location and make sure valuable possessions are moved upstairs.
For guidance on creating a flood plan tailored to your household, please visit our household page by clicking here.
Prepare a flood kit with vital items like non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, torches and crucial documents. Keep your kit in an accessible location and ensure it is regularly replenished.
For a detailed list of what to include in your flood kit, please visit our household page by clicking here.
Make sure that items in the flood kit are regularly replaced if needed e.g. prescription medication
Flooding to a household can cause serious damage if you don’t have flood protection in place, or if the protection you have has failed or is overwhelmed. You should ensure that you have adequate cover for both your buildings and contents. If you live in a flood risk area you will want to be insured for flood risk, however insurance for households in flood risk areas is often very expensive or even unaffordable.
You can read more about flood insurance by visiting our household page by clicking here.
Properly installing Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures, such as flood barriers, flood doors, automatic airbricks and water-resistant walls, can protect your property from flood damage. Research indicates that every £1 spent on property flood resilience results in a £5 saving on future damages. Some PFR measures can prevent floodwater from entering a property and others can reduce the potential damage to a home or business once floodwater has entered, meaning the recovery process can potentially be quicker and easier.
To discover more about the range of PFR products available, please visit our dedicated PFR page by clicking here.
It’s important to turn off gas, electricity and water supplies, before a flood event, provided it is safe to do so. Doing so helps prevent hazards, such as electrical issues, gas leaks, and water contamination, significantly reducing the risk of accidents and damage.
