| When flooding hits it can often be without much | | | | Ensure you know where to turn all your utilities off. |
| warning. Flood defense is only effective in advance | | | | Gas, electric and water supplies should be switched |
| and once flood waters rise, it can often be too late to | | | | off if flooding occurs. |
| do anything other that watch as homes and | | | | Try and move all the most valuable items and |
| businesses become flooded. | | | | treasured possessions upstairs. Whilst this isn't always |
| Preparation is key to protecting homes, businesses | | | | practical to do too far in advance; homes, businesses |
| and other property from flood waters. And the more | | | | and properties in known flood risk areas should |
| prepared in advance you are, the better chance you | | | | consider moving items upstairs before the danger |
| will have of staving off those rising flood waters and | | | | months. |
| preventing damage to your property. | | | | Gates, barriers, seals and other defenses should be |
| To assist you in defending your home or business, | | | | installed well in advance. Practice setting them up and |
| here are some useful hints to ensure you are | | | | see if you run into problems. |
| prepared for the worse: | | | | Often, where flood gates are impractical, the traditional |
| Prepare a flood kit. Everything from warm clothes, a | | | | sandbag is the only solution. But sandbags do take |
| torch, food, and of course plenty of water. In the 2007 | | | | time to fill and stack (a day for a decent sandbag wall) |
| floods, many homes had to go days without clean | | | | and require more than one person to do so. They are |
| drinking water. For real emergency situations you could | | | | also heavy and cumbersome to transport,so a supply |
| even buy a water filter. | | | | of full sandbags should be kept close by. |
| Survey your property. Look to where flooding can | | | | This is often impractical for most people but you could |
| (and will) enter. Whilst some entry points are obvious | | | | consider Instant Sandbags. These fill with water so |
| like doorways, flood seals for toilets and air vent seals | | | | you can store them flat when needed. They take only |
| are available, so don't neglect air vents and remember | | | | minutes to inflate and can be used like regular |
| if flood waters enter the sewerage system it can rise | | | | sandbags. |
| up the toilet and flood your home that way! | | | | |