Simple ways to protect your home from
flooding
Are you one of around 5 million people in the UK currently at
risk of flooding? Log on to the Environment Agency website http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/
for advice on current flood warnings in force, how you can protect
yourself and others, and how being at risk of flood could affect
your home insurance.
For information on flooding in England, Wales and
Scotland, ring the Floodline:
0845 988 1188
If your property has been damaged from flooding
in the past it would be prudent to keep a stock of sandbags to hand
for emergencies.
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Simple steps
Follow the checklist below to ensure you have taken the
most basic steps in protecting your home from
flooding.
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Gas, electricity and water
- Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains. Find
out where these are well in advance of any flood
- Unplug all electrical items and store upstairs or as high up as
possible
- Put plugs into sinks and weigh them down with something
heavy
Reduce flood water getting into your home
- Silicone sealant - open doors and windows, smear a layer of
this around the frame, then shut and lock the door/window.
- Ideally, cover doors, windows and airbricks with plywood,
sandbags or metal sheeting.
Furniture and appliances
- Move as much furniture and electrical items as you can
upstairs. Alternatively raise them up on bricks or blocks - this
may be very helpful for large appliances such as
fridge/freezers
- Move furniture away from walls, as this helps when drying your
property later
- If you can, roll up carpets and rugs and put them upstairs
- If there is no time to remove curtains, hang them up over the
rail so they are kept above flood water
- Leave internal doors open, or ideally, remove them and store
them upstairs
Personal Items
- You cannot replace sentimental items. Think about permanently
moving these upstairs, so you do not forget to move them in the
case of a flood
- Keep important personal documents in a sealed bag, and in a
location safe from floodwater
Outside the house
- Move anything not fixed down into a safer location, e.g.
dustbins, garden chemicals car oil and similar
- Move your car to higher ground to avoid damage
- Weigh down manhole covers outside the house to prevent them
floating away and leaving a hazardous hole