Flooding advice and information

Flooding advice

General preparedness in advance of any flooding forecast

Insurance

Check your buildings and contents insurance policy to make sure you are covered for flooding, and that you haven’t underestimated the value of your home contents.

If your home is prone to flooding, buying flood protection equipment in advance is important.

For advice and support, including if you aren’t insured, contact the National Flood Forum on 01299 403055.

Flood Re can also offer advice on insurance.

Sandbags

During extreme weather events, we will provide sandbags for residents to protect their homes from flooding.

DIY stores hold some stocks of unfilled sandbags; these can be filled with sand or soil.

Emergency sandbags will be available to protect the habitable areas of your home, rather than gardens or garages. When collecting emergency sandbags, if you are fit and able to do so, please take with you a shovel to fill your own bags. This will ensure volunteers are free to assist others.

Four sandbags are sufficient for most doorways, and during emergencies, officers will distribute appropriately to ensure as many homes are protected as possible.

We will be making deliveries to vulnerable residents. In the event of an emergency, if you are a vulnerable resident, we will have filled sandbags available to be collected from the council offices. Deliveries of filled sandbags can also be made available to you. If you are vulnerable and unable to get to the council offices, please phone us on 01684 295010 (or out of hours 01684 293445).

During a flooding incident you can find the latest news and information here.

What would you save?

Apart from family members, what else in your home would you not want to lose? By considering this now, you can take prompt action to save or preserve it.

This could be:

• Documents including insurance, birth and marriage certificates or passports.
• Photographs.
• A piece of furniture.
• A favourite toy or baby blanket.

You could:

• Copy documents and photographs and ask someone to look after them.
• Prepare to put furniture etc. upstairs or up high to prevent water damage.
• Consider purchasing a fireproof/waterproof container for those special items.

Grab bag

Prepare a grab bag with essential items in case you need to leave home quickly.

• Insurance documents and other important documents.
• Emergency numbers.
• Torch with spare batteries.
• Bottled water.
• Toiletries
• Non-perishable food items.
• Blankets and warm clothes.
• First aid kit.
• Mobile phones and chargers.
• Emergency cash and credit cards.
• Medication and prescription forms.
• Children’s essentials including nappies, clothing, comforters and sterilisation kits.

For more grab bag ideas, visit National Flood Forum: Emergency Flood Kit.

Being prepared for a flooding event
If your home is prone to flooding, there can be lots of things to think about. Please read this information, which can be used as a checklist to help you plan and act. A more detailed flood guide is available on Gloucestershire County Council’s website.

When flooding is forecast

• Check for severe weather and flood warnings on relevant websites such as Environment Agency and Met Office and listen to the radio and TV.
• Phone Floodline on 0345 988 11 88 for river flooding information.
• Protect what you can by moving pets, vehicles, valuables, sentimental items and important documents to safety / higher ground.
• Prepare food you can eat without cooking, clean bottled water and warm clothes.
• Charge your mobile phone and any portable chargers.

If flooding is imminent

• If you have a flood plan, put it into action. A flood plan template can be found on the Environment Agency website.
• Tune into BBC Radio Gloucestershire for advice (104.7, 95.0, 95.8FM, 1413AM and check BBC Radio Gloucestershire online). BBC local radio has a special role to provide information in emergencies.
• Follow us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) and look out for updates.
• Alert vulnerable neighbours.
• Switch off gas, electricity and water at the mains.
• Ensure sandbags or flood boards, airbrick covers, and other flood protection products are in place.
• Plug sinks / baths or low-level shower trays and weigh them down to prevent backflow. You can use plastic bags or pillowcases and fill them with soil to help stop water coming up through the drains.
• If you do not have non-return valves fitted, plug water inlet pipes with towels or cloths and disconnect any equipment that uses water and plug or seal if possible, to prevent water entering your home (for example, washing machine and dishwasher).
• Store smaller electrical appliances and furniture as high as possible.
• Do as much as you can in daylight. It will be much harder at night, particularly if the electricity fails.
• In the case of flash flooding, evacuate basement flats immediately and seek higher ground.

Keeping the water out

• Doors – consider purpose-built flood board / gates that can be put in place when flooding is imminent. It may be possible to replace your existing external door with one that is flood-proof. Door thresholds can also be raised.
• Walls and floors – consider raising damp-proof brick courses. Sealing floors and ‘tanking’ (creating a tank-like seal to protect walls against water penetration) can prevent water rising up through the ground.
• Air bricks – replace with those that automatically close when flood water rises or fit specially designed covers that can be placed over ventilation bricks when flooding is imminent.
• Drains and pipes – non-return valves on drains and water inlets/outlets can prevent water from coming back up the drains and toilet foul pipe.
• Sandbags – we will provide sandbags as necessary – please get in touch with us if needed on 01684 295010 or for out of hours, please phone 01684 293445.

If you need to evacuate

• Emergency services will tell you if you need to evacuate. Follow their instructions carefully. However, a situation may arise when you have to make the decision to leave your home and seek safety. Let the emergency services know you have left as soon as you can.
• Get your family and pets together, remain calm and leave as quickly as possible.
• Check if neighbours need help.
• Make sure fires are out and appliances are turned off. Shut all windows and lock doors.
• If you have property insurance, your insurance provider should be contacted about temporary accommodation requirements. If you do not have property insurance and cannot make temporary housing arrangements, our housing advice team may be able to help. During office hours, the team can be contacted directly on 01684 295010.
• Emergency accommodation may be provided by the council if you are unable to make alternative arrangements. This may be in an emergency rest centre. If a rest centre is activated, you will be told where the rest centre is located, and transport will be provided for those without.
• If you decide to stay with family or friends, let the Police or the council know.
• Take your grab bag.

Contact
We are here to help. Please call us on 01684 295010 or for out of hours, please phone 01684 293445.