12th November 2019
Planning for a flood
Planning for a flood
If your home is at risk of being flooded, it’s a great idea to create a flood plan.
Upset and disruption are the main impact of a flood. A plan will help you get over the initial hit and shock when you see your home wet, dirty and in disarray. The plan will help you stay proactive as you have already thought about the steps you need to take next. In your plan you should look at immediate things such as
- Where will you stay?
- Who will you stay with?
- How will you get there?
- Do you have anyone that could accommodate you at short notice family/friends?
You need to bear in mind that as flood hits and area the local hotels and B&Bs will get booked up very quickly if they are unaffected.
It is not just yourself that you need to plan for; if you have pets, are there any kennels nearby that will be unaffected by the flood? Do you have elderly relatives or less able members of your family that will need your help?
Protect your home
You should look at putting up some flood defences to help protect your home and minimise the damage that may be caused, as part of your plan.
You should review this each time there is a flood warning in your neighbourhood, or heavy rains are forecast.
Think is there anything I can do to protect my home?
- Sandbags – If you live in a flood risk area consider keeping a stock of sandbags. You could ask your local council for some as they may supply them.
- Remove everything valuable that's at floor level and move it upstairs. Don't forget to take photo albums, school books, and sentimental items as these are the items that have a lot of personal value if not financial and cause a lot of distress if lost. It's also a good idea to make digital copies of everything well in advance so that you have a back-up if the worst happens.
- Plug your sinks, baths and your drains, as this can prevent sewage back-up.
- Clear your garden of any loose objects such as ornaments, plants, garden furniture or children's play equipment that could cause damage to your property when swept away with the flood or storm.
- Raise all your appliances off ground level using solid bricks.
- Where possible raise up heavy furniture and wrap wooden legs in cling film or plastic bags to stop water soaking in.
- Varnish and waterproof any wooden sideboards.
- Make sure your home insurance is up to date – be aware that many insurers won't cover you for flood damage if you buy home insurance when there is a flood warning in your area.
- Keep your receipts and manuals for appliances stored somewhere safe as you may need these if you make an insurance claim.
Keep up to date with live flood warnings
View live flood warnings. Receive the latest flood alerts for your area and the rest of the UK. You can also get the latest flood developments by calling England and Wales Environment Agency's flood line on 0345 988 1188,
Useful links -
- Environment Agency
- Flood Alerts
- Flood warnings GOV.UK
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- Natural Resources Wales website
What to do when a flood hits
Step 1:
Contact your home insurance company.
Have all the information you think might be useful to them, and tell them what's happened. The person at the claims team will want to know your situation so that they can assess how they can help they ask you:
- Where you live?
- What sort of alternative accommodation do you need?
- They'll want to know the severity of the flood and the extent of the damage.
- Your insurance policy number.
After the call, your insurer will contact a flood management company who will call you. When they come over, they'll work to assess and minimise the damage.
Some insurers may set up an emergency hub in the area to help locals who are affected by the flooding.
Step 2:
Don't try to move anything that's too heavy for you to do so safely. Flood management companies are trained to take all the necessary steps to prevent secondary damage to your home, including moving heavy objects and carpets.
Step 3:
Before you move anything, take photos and make an inventory of everything you take to higher ground. As an extra step, you can find out which local flood management company your insurer uses and make a note of their details.
Preventing further flood damage to your home
There tends to be 2 types of flood damage:
- Initial impact when the flood happens
- Secondary damage caused by standing water if not dealt with effectively.'
When you return home, you should open all your windows and doors to get air flowing through the house (but leave doors to unaffected rooms closed) and to stop moisture building up as the moisture and humidity from floodwater can damage previously unaffected rooms, even those upstairs.
Before you do this, you should take extra precautions to protect any valuables, such as storing them in a locked drawer/safe, or removing them from the house while you do this.
When water levels are down, you will be able to remove carpets that have been damaged. But remember not to dispose of them just yet as your insurer will need them to see the impact of the flood.
The drying out process can frustrate you and take a long time, but it is a process that needs to be done in order to minimise damage to your property.
Your garden is also likely to be badly damaged, and contain debris from the surrounding neighbourhood. Once the waters have gone down to safe levels you can begin to clear it.
Remember you will need to be patient with the flood management professionals who are getting your home back to the way it was – but don't be afraid to ask for regular updates!
