What to plan for

Hampshire is at risk from a range of flood types including coastal, fluvial and groundwater. Local authorities work together to try to prevent flooding from occurring. 

Get advice on flood prevention and preparation

Check with the Environment agency to see if your property or business is at risk of flooding

Extreme weather is one of the more likely events that may occur in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It can mean there is a danger to health of vulnerable people or even a risk to their lives. It can cause disruption to power lines, communication networks and transport.

Get advice on how to cope in the event of extreme weather

A flu pandemic could affect a great number of people in a short space of time. For businesses this could mean large numbers of staff are absent through illness or having to care for relatives, significant disruption to your supply chain and the transport infrastructure and an unpredictable impact on society as a whole.

A nationwide loss of electricity is an extreme scenario that has not occurred in the UK to date. Whilst this risk is considered very unlikely, our reliance on electricity means that even localised outages can have severe impacts on those affected.

A nationwide loss of electricity would affect millions of consumers and critical services. The technical recovery process is called "Black Start" and could take up to five days to restore power if there is no damage. If significant damage is caused to the transmission lines, usually linked to severe weather, it could be weeks before some parts of the network are fully recovered and power is restored.

Much has been done in the UK both to help prevent industrial accidents and to minimise their effects, but they can still occur. In most cases they will have no, or a very limited, impact beyond the immediate vicinity and can be dealt with locally, although it is possible for there to be more significant consequences.

All types of incidents can occur such as fires and explosions, but locally the risk with the biggest potential impact would be a toxic release. Many of the effects of this risk are similar to large fires, evacuations and potential contamination

Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Aldermaston

Hampshire County Council works with AWE plc, West Berkshire Council and other organisations to ensure we are prepared for an emergency from the AWE site in Aldermaston.

• Guidance on what to do in the event of an emergency at AWE

The level of threat of terrorism ranges from individuals intent on carrying out crude attacks, to sophisticated networks pursuing ambitious and coordinated plots. To help prevent terrorism, remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the UK's free, confidential Anti-Terrorism Hotline on 0800 789 321.