Millions of people live and work in areas at risk from flooding.

Use the information provided below to keep you and your family safe during and after floods.

Before a flood

• Check for local warnings. You can get updates from radio and TV news. 
• Prepare an emergency kit (detailed below)
• When a flood strikes, sandbags, and sand from builders’ merchants will be in high demand. They can be used as a barrier to divert water and prevent or reduce floodwater damage. Buy sand and sandbags in advance.
• Move vehicles to higher ground but keep them accessible in case you need to bugout.
• Turn off the mains power before at the breaker to avoid the risk of electrocution.
• Block your toilets with sandbags to prevent backflow (sewage coming up through your toilet)
• Shut and lock all your windows and doors.
• Move any food and clean water supplies to the highest point in your house.
• Check you have a good supply of blankets, clothes, and candles.
• Ensure you have some kind of signaling device. Flares, whistle, flashlight or signaling mirror, etc. You may need to be airlifted out.
• Designate an upstairs room in the house that has a large enough window to climb out of. You don't want to be trapped in a room with no exit.
• Try to sandbag any doors that lead to the outside, do not sandbag internal rooms.

During a flood

• Move you and your family to your designated room. Your food, water, and other supplies should already be in here at this point.
• Don't attempt to walk, swim or drive through floodwater. 
• Six inches of fast-flowing water can knock you over. Two feet of water can float a car.
• Avoid contact with floodwater. It may be contaminated with sewage. 
• Keep your children away from any floodwater or flooded areas.
• Add  Airbrick seals or vent covers to any low lying vents (Great suggestion from one of our followings. Thanks John Bell)

After floods

• Dispose of any food that may have been in floodwater, it could be contaminated.
• Boil tap water or use bottled water until supplies are declared safe. 
• Turn on your wind-up radio and listen for any government broadcasts and local advice

Have the right kit in an emergency.

Here is a list of what we recommend you have at your disposal.

Home kit

• A laminated list of emergency contact numbers.
• A battery-operated torch and spare batteries, or a wind-up torch.
• Battery-operated radio and spare batteries, or wind-up radio.
• Any essential medication and a first aid kit.
• Three days’ supply of bottled water and ready-to-eat food that won’t go off. (MRE)
• Copies of important documents, such as insurance policies and birth certificates. Keep these in a waterproof bag.
• Baby and pet supplies if needed.

On the go kit

• Check the weather forecast and pack suitable clothes.
• Ready-to-eat food, a warm drink in a flask and bottled water.
• Mobile phone and charger.
• Any essential medication.
• Cash and credit cards.
• A laminated list of emergency contact numbers. 
• Baby and pet supplies if needed.

Car kit

• Ice scraper and de-icer.
• Snow shovel.
• A map in case you need to find your way around diversions.
• Blanket and warm clothes.
• First aid kit.
• Battery-operated torch and spare batteries, or a wind-up torch.
• Battery-operated radio and spare batteries, or wind-up radio.
• Jump leads.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Let us know if we missed something. What else would you add?

Stay safe.
Paul.