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News: SW home owners urged to sign up to flood defences

Mon, 06 Aug 07

The Environment Agency has renewed its appeal for people to sign-up to the free Flood Warnings Direct system...

‘Flood Warnings Direct automatically alerts people to rising rivers and possible flooding, giving people the vital hours they need to protect their homes and belongings,’ said Richard Horrocks, Regional Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency in the South West.

Over the past week the Environment Agency has issued more than 1,100 flood warning messages to millions of people nationally via the 24-hour phoneline and website, by loudhailer, siren and across radio and television.

More than 120,000 properties received direct flood warnings via the Environment Agency Floodline Warnings Direct service.

Some 18,500 properties in the South West have signed up to the Environment Agency’s automated flood warning system. However, many more properties are at risk, and can be provided with a Flood Warning service from the Environment Agency.

‘The better prepared you are, the better you’ll cope with the effects of flooding should it ever happen to you. We would encourage every householder across the county to at least call our floodline number and find out whether they live in a flood prone area,’ added Richard Horrocks.

Floodline Warnings Direct gives an advance warning in flood risk areas by telephone, mobile, fax, pager, text or e-mail. To find out if flood warnings are available in your area and to sign up to the service, call Floodline on 0845 988 1188.

Damage from flooding is on the increase

The annual average damage from flooding in England and Wales is estimated at £1 billion and this figure is set to increase.

The first step is for people to find out if they are at risk from flooding is by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodline or calling Floodline 0845 988 1188.

Other simple steps to make sure you are prepared for a flood are:

1. Make a list of useful telephone numbers: include Floodline 0845 9881188, insurance company emergency and claim numbers, family and neighbours and your local authority.
2. Check your insurance: find out exactly what is covered in a flood.
3. Know where to turn off gas, electricity and water
4. Store valuable and sentimental items upstairs or in a high place
5. Make arrangements with near-by friends/family/neighbours to assist you in the event of a flood if needed.

Although the Wessex Area of the Environment Agency (which includes Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset) has had comparatively few flooding incidents from the recent rainfall, it has been busy providing flood relief resources to other regions.

In total 14 people have been sent to assist with flood relief from both Taunton and Bridgwater. The field delivery team from Bridgwater were sent to the Midlands area to offer respite to the local workforce who had been working since the start of the flood event.

And more than 1,000 sandbags were sent to Reading to help Thames with their operational response to the extreme flood event. Operations Delivery team deployed the sandbags within four hours. The giant mobile water pumps recently bought from Holland and kept at Curry Moor in Somerset were sent to Gloucester with a team of four people.

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