England

For more information on England flooding, visit the government’s site on flooding.

How to plan ahead for flooding

Find out if you’re at risk of flooding and plan what you’ll do.

Find out if you’re at risk

Enter your postcode to find out if you’re in an area at risk from flooding.

Sign up for flood warnings

In many flood risk areas, you can sign up for flood warnings. These warn of the risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and groundwater. You’ll be alerted by phone, email or text when flooding is expected. Flood warnings and alerts are not available in all areas.Is this content useful? Is this content about sign up for flooding warnings useful?Yes  No 

Know what to do

The best way to protect yourself from flooding is to know what to do in advance.

We issue 3 levels of flood warning:

Flood alert – Prepare

Image of flood alert symbol

  • prepare a bag that includes medicines and insurance documents
  • check flood warnings

Flood warning – Act

Image of flood warning symbol

  • turn off gas, water and electricity
  • move things upstairs or to safety
  • move family, pets and car to safety

Severe flood warning – Survive

Image of severe flood warning symbol

  • call 999 if in immediate danger
  • follow advice from emergency services
  • keep yourself and your family safe

Save a copy of this simple flood plan (PDF, 139KB) so you’ll know what to do when there’s a flood warning in your area.

You can also use templates to make your own personal flood plan for:

You should prepare a bag of essential items to take with you if you have to leave your home. Keep this in a safe place. You could include things like spare medication, glasses, clothing, important documents and contact details such as the number of your insurance company.

Create a checklist of things to do to protect your family, such as turning off the electricity and gas to prevent a fire.Is this content useful? Is this content about making a flood plan useful?Yes  No 

Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water

If you leave your home during a flood you’ll need to turn off your mains water, gas and electricity if it’s safe to do so. You should find out in advance how to do this.

The location of water stopcocks, gas shut-off valves and electrical master switches varies between properties. The gas shut-off valve is usually beside the meter. The mains electricity cut-off is usually a big red switch on your fuse box. If you can’t find your water stopcock, ask someone with practical experience or a plumber to help you.Is this content useful? Is this content about turning off your gas, electricity and water useful?Yes  No 

Protect your property

You can make changes to your property that will help you to get back to normal more quickly after a flood and reduce the damage flooding can do.

To reduce flood damage you can take steps such as laying tiles instead of carpets, moving electrical sockets higher up the wall and fitting non-return valves to stop flood water entering your property through the drains. Bluepages lists suppliers of flood products and services.

For more information on advance measures, get the National Flood Forum’s property protection guides for property owners or for local authorities and professionals.

Simple maintenance like keeping drains and gullies clear of debris will also help to protect your property.Is this content useful? Is this content about protecting your property useful?Yes  No 

Check your insurance

Make sure you have insurance to protect your home or business. If you have buildings and contents insurance, check if flood damage is included.

If you rent your home, it’s your responsibility to protect your belongings.

If you’re finding it difficult to get your property insured for flooding, the National Flood Forum may be able to help.

The Flood Re scheme works with some insurance providers to reduce the cost of insuring certain homes against flooding.

If you’re about to be flooded

Check the National Flood Forum or speak to a Floodline adviser to find out how to stay safe during a flood.

Floodline
Telephone: 0345 988 1188
24-hour service
Find out about call charges

You can check if there’s currently a flood warning in your area.

Sandbags

Contact your local council to find out where to get sandbags. You can also get them from some DIY or building supplies shops.

If you need to travel

Check flood warnings and road travel information.

Read more
No Comments

Wales

What to do in a flood

We issue three types of warnings to help you prepare for flooding and take action:

Flood Alert – Flooding is possible, be prepared.

Alerts cover large areas where flooding is possible from rivers or the sea. 

Flood Warning – Flooding is expected, immediate action required.

Warnings cover smaller, community-level areas where we expect to see flooding of properties from rivers or the sea. 

  • move family, pets and valuables to a safe place
  • turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if it is safe to do so
  • put flood protection equipment in place

Severe Flood Warning – Danger to life.

Severe warnings are issued when flooding from rivers or the sea may already be happening and there is danger to life. 

  • stay in a safe place with a means of escape
  • be ready to leave your home
  • cooperate with the emergency services
  • call 999 if you are in immediate danger

We cannot issue a flood warning or alert if: 

  • the area is at very low risk of flooding
  • you’re at risk of flooding due to small watercourses, because they flood extremely quickly and we can’t give enough time to take preventative action
  • you’re at risk of flooding due to surface water, groundwater or sewage flooding
  • our monitoring network or forecasts do not cover that location

Find out how we forecast floods and issue warnings

If you are evacuated

Listen to advice from the emergency services and evacuate when told to do so.

You will be taken to an evacuation centre run by your local council. Free food and bedding is provided but you will need spare clothing, essential medication and baby care items if you have an infant.

Most evacuation centres will let you bring your pets. You should take pet food and remember to put cats and small animals in a pet carrier or secure box.

Report a flood

Blocked drains and gullies

Report flooding caused by blocked drains, gullies or water running off fields to your local authority.

Blocked rivers and landslides

Report flooding caused by blocked rivers, landslides or flooding from rivers and the sea to our 24 hours incident line on 03000 65 3000.

Problems with gas, electricity or sewerage

If you are concerned about floodwater affecting your gas, electricity, water or sewerage services, please call your supplier.

For sewer flooding, or if your toilet or sink is backing up during floods please call your local water company.

Sandbags

Your local authority may have some sandbags ready to deploy at times of flooding, but their priority is to protect the public at large.

You should check with them in advance to find out what their policy is, and if there is a charge for the service.

If your local authority doesn’t supply sandbags, you can buy your own supply from DIY stores and builder’s merchants.

Your local authority can also advise what to do with sandbags after a flood. They can be contaminated by flood water, sewage, oil or fuel and may need to be treated as contaminated waste.

Find local information

  • Call Floodline on 0345 988 1188
  • Check local Facebook groups
  • Tune into your local radio station for updates 
  • Check the latest weather from the Met Office
  • Get traffic updates from the Traffic Wales website
  • Use our live warning map to see if you’re at risk from river or coastal flooding

What to do after a flood

Make sure it’s safe to return to your property:

  • take care as there may be hidden dangers in floodwater, such as sharp objects, raised manhole covers and pollution
  • flood water might have caused structural damage to your property

If your electricity supply has not been switched off at the mains, get a qualified person to do this. DO NOT touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water.

Making an insurance claim

In almost all cases, the insurance company will send a loss adjuster to look at your property. They will confirm what repairs and replacements are needed and which elements are covered by your policy.

Ask the insurance company:

  • How long it will be before the loss adjuster visits
  • If you are to clean your property or if they will get a company to do it for you
  • If they will help pay for repairs that will reduce potential flood damage and therefore reduce costs if it happens again
  • If they will provide you with temporary accommodation – this can be a nearby B&B, static caravan or rented house. You don’t have to accept the first place you are offered.

Always make your own record of flood damage:

  • Use a permanent in pen to mark on the wall the height the flood water got to. Do this in every room affected by flooding.
  • Photograph or video your damaged property and list the damage to your property and belongings.
  • If your insurance company covers you for loss of perishable good, make a list of all the foods you throw away. Include any food touched by flood water and anything in your fridge or freezer ruined by loss of power.

Top tips:

  • confirm the insurance company will pay for any services or equipment you need
  • make a note of all telephone calls. Record the date, name and what was agreed
  • keep copies of letters, emails and faxes you send and receive
  • keep receipts
  • don’t throw anything away until told (except ruined food)

If you rent your property, contact your landlord and your contents insurance company as soon as possible.

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.

If you need more help and support contact:

Financial support

Your Local Authority can advise you on:

  • Community Flood Recovery Grants
  • Emergency/alternative accommodation
  • Council Tax exemptions

For more information from the Welsh government, check their website on flooding.

Read more
No Comments

Scotland

Managing flood risk

Reducing flood risk is a key commitment in the programme for government and it will become even more crucial as climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of flooding across Scotland.

Through the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 we introduced a more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management that is better suited to current needs and can accommodate the impacts of climate change.

Reducing flood risk

We are reducing flood risk in Scotland by:

We provide the following targeted funding each year:

Flood risk management strategies

Under the 2009 Act we worked with partners led by SEPA to prepare 14 flood risk management strategies that together form the first national plan for flood risk management in Scotland. We are responsible for approving the objectives and actions set out in these strategies.

Across the 14 strategies there are 42 formal flood protection schemes proposed for between 2016 and 2021, which will protect an estimated 10,000 properties from flooding.

The strategies are supplemented by the local flood risk management plans, which are developed primarily by local authorities and set out the detailed actions to be delivered in each plan district by individual councils and their partners.

Flood risk management responsibilities

The 2009 Act allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland, in which we work in partnership with SEPA, local authorities, Scottish Water and other responsible authorities including Forestry Commission Scotland, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, and Cairngorms Natoinal Park Authority.

SEPA

SEPA works with local authorities, Scottish Water and other public bodies, alongside stakeholders and the public, to co-ordinate flood risk management and deliver information. SEPA also provides flood forecasting and warning services, and will produce the second National Flood Risk Assessment in 2018.

Local authorities

Local authorities ensure local accountability by leading on the preparation of local flood risk management plans, which supplement the national strategies prepared by SEPA and ensure actions are locally targeted and delivered. They also have the ability to make and build flood protection schemes.

Scottish Water

Scottish Water assesses the risk of flooding from surface water and combined sewers that results from higher than usual rainfall. Once risks are identified, Scottish Water works with local authorities and SEPA to look for ways to reduce those risks through its capital investment programme.

The public

The public are given opportunities to participate in the production and implementation of flood risk management plans, and have a role in sharing local knowledge and getting involved with flood protection actions for their areas.

Building flood resilience and awareness

We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our property from flooding. This means taking action to ensure we do all we can to help minimise flood damage.

The Property Flood Resilience Delivery Group (PFRDG) produced the Living with Flooding action plan for delivering property flood resilience (November 2019). The Plan was developed to help raise awareness of the benefits of property flood resilience and encourage property owners, the construction and insurance industries and the general public to implement property flood resilience measures.

To read more on how Scotland manages flooding, visit the Scottish Government’s website.

Read more
No Comments