Protect yourself from flooding 

You can take steps to protect yourself from the risk of flooding. The following resources can help you be prepared:

  • prepare for any emergency by following our P.L.A.N advice
  • check if your area may be at risk of flooding by using the Environment Agency’s postcode search
  • sign up for flood warnings at on the GOV.UK website or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or Typetalk 0345 602 6340
  • subscribe to Met Office weather alerts via their website
  • visit the Environment Agency website which contains details of river level and flooding information
  • visit Thames Water’s website to view their network updates
  • follow the Environment Agency on Twitter for updates @EnvAgencySE
  • find out more about what the Council is doing to reduce the risk of flooding in the borough

Protect your property from flooding

If a flood alert or warning is issued for your area, you can take a number of precautions to protect your home or business and to minimise any damage:

Indoors

  • put any sentimental, valuable or irreplaceable items upstairs or on high shelves or cupboards
  • turn off gas, electricity and water at the mains
  • unplug all electrical items and store them upstairs, or if you do not have an upstairs then place them high up on shelves or cupboards
  • put the plugs in your sinks and then weigh them down so they cannot move, to stop the drains backing up
  • move as much furniture as you can upstairs or raise them up on bricks or blocks
  • move furniture away from walls - this helps when drying your property later
  • roll up carpets and rugs and put them upstairs, or if you do not have an upstairs then place them high up on shelves or cupboards
  • remove curtains or hang them up over the rail so they are kept above flood water
  • disconnect any equipment that uses water (e.g. washing machines)
  • keep important personal documents, including your home insurance documents, in a sealed bag, and in a location safe from floodwater

Outdoors

  • cover doors, windows, and airbricks with materials such as plywood, floorboards or metal sheeting
  • move dustbins, garden chemicals, gas cylinders, or anything else not fixed down, to a safer location
  • move your car, motorbike, or any other vehicle to higher ground to avoid risk of damage
  • weigh down drainage inspection chambers outside your home to prevent them floating away and leaving a hazardous hole

Visit the Environment Agency website – What to do before, during, and after a flood

Owning land or property next to a river, stream, or ditch

If you own land or property next to a river, stream, or ditch you are a ‘riparian landowner’.

Find out more about 'riparian landowner' rights and responsibilities