ThePipaNews 
The Environment Agency launches Flood Action Week campaign to encourage communities to prepare for flooding this winter. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs sponsored body warns to ignore the “danger at your own peril”.
When nation-states gather at COP27 in Egypt this week, all eyes will be on Britain as countries are urged to plan and prepare for increasingly extreme events. Just this year, Britain experienced its highest ever recorded temperatureswith many regions still struggling with drought.
However, the Environment Agency urges communities not to be complacent after the dry weather and that unexpected flooding can occur at any time. The announcement comes on the back of research showing as many as 1.5 million households are yet to prepare.
Caroline Douglassexecutive director of floods at the Environment Agency, said: “Climate change is happening now. We are seeing more extreme weather – this year alone with three named storms in one week, record temperatures and droughts declared across much of the country.
“Therefore, it is important that people take the necessary preparations as early as possible to prepare for the worst. Our latest investment program has better protected 314,000 homes from flooding and we’re investing millions to keep communities safe, but we can’t stop all flooding.
“The message is clear – households risk ignoring the risk of flooding at their own peril. Anyone can go online to check if they are at risk, register for Environment Agency alerts and, most importantly, know what to do if flooding happens.”
This year’s Flood Week will run from 7 November – 13 November and aims to provide new warning functionality for 62,000 properties at risk of flooding this winter. This means that the number of properties registered for the service is 1.6 million.
What to do if your home is flooded in the UK?
The Environment Agency has revealed that those at risk are encouraged to follow the advice to ‘Prepare. Act. Survive’, specifically:
- If there is an initial flood warning – prepare by packing medicines and insurance and other important documents and visit the flood warning information service
- If there is a subsequent confirmed flood warning – act by moving family, pets and belongings to safety. Turn off gas, water and electricity
- If there is a severe flood warning – survive immediate danger by following emergency services advice or calling 999 if necessary
