The Environment Agency is running a flood campaign at the start of November.
We want you to act now, and be prepared for flooding
1 in 6 properties in England are at risk of flooding – that’s almost 5 million people
.
During the winter of 2015/2016 almost 20,000 homes and businesses flooded and the impacts of that were
devastating. Statistics show that the average cost for a domestic flood is £50,000, with insurers spending nearly £27.5 million on alternative accommodation for affected families while their properties are repaired.
December 2015 was the wettest month in England since records began in 1910: with an ever-changing climate, the number of homes and businesses that could flood is only going to increase.
The worrying fact is that only about half of the people who are in a flood risk area , actually know about it.
Caroline Douglass, from the Environment Agency said: “Flooding can cause serious disruption to people’s lives. We can’t prevent it, but we can help homeowners to be more flood resilient – those who are aware of the risk and have done something about it are able to reduce damage to their homes and possessions considerably”
Have you ever checked to see if you are at risk from flooding?
Would you know what to do in a flood?
What could you do now to minimise damage to your property?
Start by taking three simple steps to help protect you, your family and home from the devastating
effects flooding:
Use the Environment Agency’s maps to find out if you are at risk from flooding
Check if free flood warnings are available for your area and register online
Do something to be prepared
Start with a quick personal flood plan
Within a few minutes you’ll be more prepared for flooding.
Once you have the knowledge, you can then find out more about other measures you can take in case of a flooding emergency.
No-one can prevent flooding, but being prepared will help save you time, money and distress if a flood
happens to you
For more information please visit www.gov.uk/floodsdestroy
Twitter: @envagency
Facebook: facebook.com/environmentagency
Instagram: @EnvAgency
Statistics from Associated Board of Insurers (ABI) January 2016
