Check your flood risk ahead of winter rainfall

The online community toolkit, available on the County Council’s website, brings together advice and guidance to help people to prepare for and reduce the risk of damage to their property from flooding.
 
Councillor Kirsty North, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead for Universal Services said: “At least eight of the last 12 months have seen above average rainfall with the highest number of named storms on record. Checking your flood risk is now easily done online and takes just a few minutes. If you find your property is at greater risk, you can sign up to receive warnings from the Environment Agency about possible flooding from rivers, the sea or groundwater, together with advice on the practical steps you can take to be prepared. This could include joining a local Community Flood Action Group which supports residents to reduce flood risk in those areas where flooding could be the most severe, keeping a supply of sandbags, or checking your insurance cover is up to date.  
 
“Now is also a good time for homeowners and landlords to do checks on any drains or water channels on their property, taking action to remove blockages from their private land, just as our highways teams are doing on our roads. This can make a big difference in helping excess water to flow away naturally.” 
 
In the County Council’s role as the Highway Authority, teams work all year around to keep local roads free of debris and prevent surface flooding. Figures for the first three months of this financial year alone show that 43,479 drains and gullies have been cleared and cleaned, ready to cope with heavy rainfall. Extra drainage checks are also being made in areas that are more prone to flooding.
 
The new community toolkit is designed to provide communities, parish and town councils, householders, landowners and businesses with information on flooding and where to find advice and support, plus where to report flooding for assistance. Reporting incidents of flooding also helps organisations to develop measures to reduce the flooding in high-risk areas.  
 
Flooding is rarely caused by one source – the majority of incidents are a mix of river, rain, coastal, groundwater, and sewer flooding – and responsibility for managing those sources lies with several organisations, alongside property and landowners. As Lead Local Flood Authority, the County Council is responsible for managing local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and smaller watercourses and the County Council carries out hundreds of investigations each year into the cause of local flood risks. The Environment Agency is responsible for flood risk from rivers and coastal areas, whereas water companies are responsible for flood from sewers and other water infrastructure. 
 
Anyone in an area prone to flooding, is also advised to consider preparing a ‘grab bag’ in case they have to leave home at short notice. Essential contents would include a torch (battery or wind up), emergency contacts, medicines, important documents, money and credit cards, pet food, mobile phone chargers, bottled water, toiletries, spare house and car keys, plus any essential equipment or items for babies and children.
 
Claire Francis, Flood Risk Manager, Environment Agency said: “During a flood event, people should remain vigilant, check their flood risk and plan to stay safe. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to walk or drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. Our teams are out on the ground checking flood defences, clearing debris from rivers, and continue to support our partners to reduce the impacts of the heavy rain. We will issue flood warnings and alerts where necessary. People should check their flood risk by visiting the website www.flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation, as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates”. 
 
Councillor Zoe Huggins, the County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for overseeing the Authority’s climate change activity, added: “Recent years, and indeed the past few weeks, have demonstrated the impact climate change is having on our weather patterns, with prolonged periods of heavy rainfall becoming more frequent. Taking action to tackle climate change is not just the responsibility of councils, it is up to everyone to do what they can, and it is also up to anyone who owns a property or land to make sure they’re keeping drains and ditches clear, as well as prepare for the risk of flooding. I am sure the new toolkit will be a helpful resource to this end.” 
 
For properties at risk of flooding, the advice is to consider buying sandbags or other equipment from builders’ merchants, hardware or DIY stores. The County Council’s limited supply of sandbags is reserved for use at locations where it is most needed and not available on demand for homeowners. Some local borough and district councils in Hampshire provide sandbags for emergencies. More information is available on the County Council’s webpages.