Campaign to get public prepared for flooding

Residents are being urged to plan what they would do in a flood in order to protect their property and belongings.
JPCT 060114 S14020457x Flooding problems. No trains running at Horsham station.  -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120140601101639JPCT 060114 S14020457x Flooding problems. No trains running at Horsham station.  -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120140601101639
JPCT 060114 S14020457x Flooding problems. No trains running at Horsham station. -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120140601101639

Pets, photographs, children’s toys, important documents - all these things can be lost if you are unfortunate enough to be flooded.

In West Sussex, more than 100,000 homes are considered to be at risk of some type of flooding. The risk of flooding may come from rivers, the sea, heavy rainfall or water coming up from the ground.

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That is why West Sussex County Council is supporting The Environment Agency’s ‘Floods Destroy’ campaign this November, to encourage people to think about what they might lose.

Visit www.gov.uk/floodsdestroy to take the following simple steps to help protect you, your family and home from flooding:

l Use the Environment Agency’s maps to find out if you are at risk from flooding;

l Check if free flood warnings are available for your area; and

l Prepare a personal flood plan.

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WSCC cabinet member for highways and transport, Pieter Montyn, said: “Floods turn lives upside down. It is a complex and unpredictable problem, so residents must prepare themselves and their homes against the threat of it happening.

“Acting now can save you a lot of heartache in the long run.”

Due to climate change the risk of flooding will increase as sea levels rise, winter rainfall increases and flash storms become more frequent.

This means more people will be at risk more often.

Flood protection measures are in place in many areas across the county, however the risk of flooding cannot be completely eliminated, nor can flood damage be entirely prevented.

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Anyone who lived in an at risk area is urged to act now and plan what to do in a flood.

Flooding can happen quickly so preparing in advance can reduce the damage and disruption flooding can cause.

To find if you are in a flood risk area go to www.environment-agency.org.uk and search under ‘flood’.

A personal Flood Plan template is available from the Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods

For more information go to www.westsussex.gov.uk/flooding or follow @WSCC News on Twitter.