Flood advice

Start preparing today before a flood happens. Follow these simple steps:

• Check your insurance cover

• Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supplies

• Prepare a flood kit of essential items - water, blanket, torch etc.

• Know who to contact and how

• Think about what you can move out now

• Think about what you would want to move to safety during a flood

For a detailed explanation of how to carry out these steps read the Environment Agency advice - before a flood.

Protect your home from flood damage

Use the following methods to help minimise flood damage to your home:

• Use plastic covers to seal airbricks
• Fix floodboards to window and door frames
• Lay ceramic tiles on your ground floor and use rugs instead of fitted carpets
• Raise the height of electrical sockets to 1.5 metres above ground floor level
• Use lime plaster instead of gypsum on walls
• Fit stainless steel or plastic kitchens instead of chipboard ones
• Position any main parts of a heating ventilation system, like a boiler, upstairs
• Fit non-return valves to all drains and water inlet pipes
• Replace wooden window frames and doors with synthetic ones

Further advice and guidance

The Environment Agency has a Thames Flood Communications team who can support individuals and communities with flood related issues.

Sandbags

For information on sandbags please read the council's Sandbag Protocol.

Useful websites

The Environment Agency and other bodies publish advice on their individual websites:

• Current Flood Warnings in force

• Flooding – Frequently Asked Health Questions

• Floodline 0845 988 11 88

• Flood Warnings explained

• How to cope after the flood

• Flood Advice Guides 

• The Association of British Insurers

See our Borough Alert page for information about flooding and other emergencies in the Borough.