Flooding advice

For information on what to do and who to contact in a flood, please follow the link on this page to the Emergencies and Major incidents section of the website.

General advice: what to do in a flood

• If you live in an area that may get flooded, register with the Environment Agency ‘Flood Warnings Direct’ scheme on the Floodline number 0845 988 1188.
• Listen out for warnings on radio and TV and phone Floodline on 0845 988 1188 for more information.
• Move pets, vehicles, valuables and other items to safety.
• Alert your neighbours, particularly the elderly.
• Put sandbags or flood boards in place - but make sure your property is ventilated. Plug sinks/baths and put a sandbag in the toilet bowl to prevent backflow. To ask the council for a sandbag, please contact the Customer Service Centre
• Be ready to turn off gas and electricity (get help if needed). Unplug electrical items and move them upstairs if possible.
• Co-operate with emergency services and local authorities - you may be evacuated to a rest centre for your own safety.
• Do as much as you can in daylight. Doing anything in the dark will be a lot harder, especially if the electricity fails.

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