If you are in immediate danger and need assistance, call 999. This page will be updated when required during a significant flood incident.
What to do in an emergency
It is important to keep yourself and your family safe during a flood event.
- do not walk through flood water. There could be dangers you cannot see underwater that could cause you to become trapped
- do not drive through flood water
- get to a place of safety and call 999 if you need immediate help
Here are some tips on what to do in an emergency -
- alert your neighbours
- disconnect electrical appliances
- empty furniture drawers and cupboards that are downstairs. Move them upstairs or to a high place
- fasten plastic bags around the legs of wooden furniture
- have your flood kit ready
- if you have any flood protection equipment such as flood barriers, put them in place
- if you need to travel, check flood warning and road travel information
- listen to local radio stations for weather forecasts and advice from emergency response teams
- move pets, vehicles and valuables to places of safety
- put plugs in sinks and weigh them down with something heavy
- put something heavy on the top of toilet seats
- roll up carpets and rugs and move them out of the way
- turn off your utilities - gas, electric and water
- wrap curtains around curtain poles so they're off the floor
Sandbag requests
It is not the responsibility of the Local Authority to provide sandbags for use by individual occupiers of residential or commercial premises. We cannot deliver sandbags on request.
We will protect key locations, such as infrastructure or vulnerable communities first. We will aim to place sandbags at strategic points sensitive to flooding. For example, on street corners for collection and placement by the property owner.
Supplies of sandbags will be dependent upon -
- the scale of the flooding
- the demands for service
- the weather conditions
- the prioritisation of response
Sandbags are not the only, or even the best, protection against floodwater. There are several ways to stop floodwater from entering your property. You can find advice on ways to protect your property from flooding on the National Flood Forum website and our website.