What to do in a flood

1. Overview

Depending on the level of risk, when flooding is expected you should:

• be prepared to act on your flood plan
• prepare a flood kit of essential items
• move family, pets and valuables to a safe place
• turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if it’s safe
• put flood protection equipment in place
• stay in a safe place with a means of escape
• be ready to evacuate from your home, if advised by emergency services
• co-operate with the emergency services
• call 999 if you’re in immediate danger

What the flood warnings mean

The Flood Information Service issues 3 levels of warning, depending on how severe the flooding is expected to be.

• flood alert - flooding is possible: be prepared
• flood warning - flooding is expected: immediate action needed
• severe flood warning - severe flooding: danger to life

In many areas you can sign up to have flood warnings sent to your mobile or email.

If flooding is expected you can keep track of flood warnings and the weather forecast for your area. You can also check local river and sea levels.