What to do if a flood is on the way:

To try and stop water entering your home, here are a few simple measures which can help keep you safe and minimise damage to
your property:

• listen to your local radio and TV weather forecasts for advice from the emergency services;
• make sure you know how to locate the electricity isolation switch and gas main turn off points;
• alert your neighbours, particularly the elderly;
• move your car to higher ground;
• roll up carpets and rugs and move them out of harm’s way;
• empty furniture drawers and cupboards. Place the contents and any furniture you can move upstairs;
• any furniture you can’t move could be raised on bricks and pulled away from the wall. Weigh down any furniture which is too heavy to move, to stop it from floating and damaging walls and windows;
• fasten plastic bags around the legs of wooden furniture to help minimise absorption of water;
• if possible, take the curtains down or wrap them round the curtain pole;
• move computer and other electrical equipment upstairs or above the anticipated water level;
• turn off mains gas and electricity;
• put plugs in sinks and weigh them down with something heavy to prevent backflow from the drains. Weigh down the loo seat too;
• disconnect electrical appliances;
• check food and water supplies and take upstairs;
• bring caged outdoor pets inside, and move all pets with food, water, bedding and litter trays upstairs;
• get into the habit of storing valuable or sentimental items and important documents upstairs or in a high place;
• if you have any flood protection equipment, such as floodboards sandbags or airbrick covers, put them in place (external link);
• do as much as you can in daylight; doing anything in the dark will be a lot harder, especially if the electricity fails.