A national trade body has drawn up a list of measures which could help householders in Doncaster and across south Yorkshire to protect their homes against flooding.
The advice comes as the Environment Agency launches ‘Flood Action Week’ which runs until the 20th October, highlighting the steps that can be taken to reduce the devastation caused by floods to homes and businesses.
This year’s awareness campaign coincides with the one-year anniversary of Storm Babet, which brought significant flooding across the country.
Nearly 96,900 properties across England were protected by the Environment Agency during Storm Babet, though around 2,150 were flooded
Caroline Douglass, Environment Agency Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management, said: “Climate change means extreme weather events are happening more frequently, and we have already seen an unusually wet September this year.
“We can’t always predict where the rain will fall or where flooding will occur, but we do know which areas are at risk”
This campaign is all about showing people that they can easily take a few steps to reduce the devastation caused by floods to their homes and businesses, with around 5.5 million properties in England at risk from flooding.
Emma Hardy, Floods Minister, said: “Flooding can be a destructive force that puts everything in life on hold. I’ve seen the impacts firsthand and am determined to ensure as much as possible others do not.
“Through the recent launch of our Floods Resilience Taskforce, this government is taking decisive action to accelerate the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather.”
The best way to protect yourself from flooding is early preparation and knowing what to do in advance.
Some of the actions people can take to reduce the dangers are:
- Check your long-term flood risk. You can use this free service to find out the long-term flood risk for an area in England, the possible causes of flooding, and how to manage flood risk.
- Sign up for flood warnings by phone, text or email
- Taking steps to protect yourself from future flooding – including storing important documents in a secure, waterproof location, taking rugs and small furniture upstairs, checking how to turn off your electricity and water, preparing a flood kit.
The Environment Agency and its partners are continuing to help communities become more resilient to extreme weather and rising sea levels, but authorities can never stop all flood impacts.
Visit Public urged to prepare for floods after wettest 18 months on record – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to learn more.