Flooding – are you prepared?
Around 5 million people, in 2 million properties, live
in flood risk areas in England and Wales – are you one of
them?
With climate change causing more extreme weather and sea level
rise, flooding is a growing concern for those in the Kent area. It
is becoming increasingly important for people to find out if their
homes and businesses are at risk and to be prepared.
To find out if you could be at risk, visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk
or call the Floodline on 0845 988 1188. You may be able to register
for Floodline Warnings Direct, a free service providing warnings
direct by phone, mobile, email, SMS text message, fax or pager.
Even if you don’t live in a flood risk area,
flash flooding can happen when there is very heavy rainfall and/or
problems with water mains or sewers. Thinking ahead and planning
for what could happen makes common sense. This is why the
Environment Agency and other public bodies work closely together,
through the Kent Resilience Forum, to make sure arrangements are in
place to deal quickly and efficiently with a major flooding
incident.
So what action can you take, should the worst
happen?
- If you do live in a flood area, keep some plywood, sandbags or
metal sheeting in the house to cover doors, windows and
airbricks.
- Know where to turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies
at the mains and to keep a list of useful numbers to hand,
including the numbers for Floodline, the council, emergency
services and your insurance company.
- Ensure that sentimental items, such as family photo albums that
cannot be replaced and important personal documents, like
passports, birth and wedding certificates are kept upstairs away
from floodwater.
All households should read the Environment Agency’s three new
flooding guides: Preparing for a flood, During a
flood and After a flood, which are available on the
Environment Agency website or by calling the Floodline number.
For more ideas about preparing for emergencies
you can visit the DirectGov
website.
If you find yourself in an emergency, don’t
forget to Go in, stay in, tune in for regular
advice and updates on the situation on local radio and media
websites.
Contact
Tel: 01304 821199
E-mail: customerservices@dover.gov.uk
