Flooding
You can prepare for flooding by taking a few practical steps.
You can prepare for flooding by taking a few practical steps.
See the latest flood alerts from the Environment Agency.
You can prepare for flooding by taking a few practical steps:
You can also download and print off the Environment Agencies prepare your property for flooding booklet which covers all aspects of flooding in the home.
Prepare Your Property For Flooding (pdf 2,459.12 KB)
Personal Flood Plan (pdf 185.40 KB)
You can read more about what to do if you have a flooding emergency in your home on our What to do in an Emergency section.
If you were evacuated from your property because of flooding, the most important thing after a flood is finding out if it is safe to return to your property. You will be told when it's safe for you to return by someone from either:
After a flood, you should check that the electricity has been switched off at the mains. If you are not sure that it has been switched off, you should get a qualified person to do this. You should not touch sources of electricity while standing in floodwater. You should also make sure any electrical appliance that's been in contact with floodwater is checked out by a qualified electrician.
Wait until the water levels are lower outside your property than inside before getting rid of it using a pump or bucket. You can hire or buy a pump and generator from a DIY shop. Make sure you put the generator outside to avoid poisonous carbon monoxide from the exhaust building up indoors.
Floodwater can be contaminated with sewage, chemicals and animal waste. When clearing up, you should:
If you feel unwell after coming into contact with flood water call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or contact your GP.
When clearing up, shovel mud away from both sides of the wall to stop pressure building up on one side.
If you rent, contact your landlord to check what buildings insurance is in place.
You should check any buildings and contents insurance you have to:
You should make your own record of the flood damage. You can do this by taking photos, notes or making videos. You should also make sure you keep a record of everything related to your claim (letters, receipts and telephone calls to and from the insurance company).
When you call the insurance company, ask:
If you do not have insurance, your local council should be able to provide information on hardship grants or charities that may be able to help you.
Make sure you talk to your insurer before undertaking any work to find out what work can be paid for under your policy before starting any repairs. Your insurer will usually pay for like-for-like repairs, restoring your home to a similar state to before the flood. You are likely to have to pay for any work beyond like-for-like repairs yourself. The cost of making your home better able to deal with flooding is likely to be a lot less than the cost of clearing up after flood.
Alterations you may want to consider are:
To find out more please visit our flood driving advice page.