AM I AT RISK OF FLOODING? READ TO FIND OUT
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Over 5.5 million properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. That’s one in six, which means there’s a high chance one of these properties is your home or business. So how do floods form? Flooded areas of land usually start off as very dry land. Floods are caused
by heavy rains that pour to much water into rivers and other waterways. Making these natural channels unable to carry all the water. Rising water flows over or breaks the banks to the waterways causing the surrounding land to be flooded. Different causes of floods can come from masses of snow melting of tidal waves.
l o l Mi i n
E S AR E M G HO ISH ODIN T O I L R F OF OF B 25 % AT RISK L STIL
A MER E 2 FE ET OF VEHIC WATER CAN LE AN FLOA D EVE N A BU T A S
IED A CAR CAN EASILY BE CARR OF ET FE AWAY BY JUST TWO FLOODWATER
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DAM 66% O F FLOO D
DEATH
IN VEH ICLE
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MOST LARGE
HOME OWNE RS INS NOT C U OVER FLOOD RANCES DO ES DAMA GE
ME IS , YOUR HO A E R A K IS E IN A HIGH-R WICE AS LIKELY TO B NT MORE THA FIRE D THAN BY O O L F Y B DAMAGED
JUST AN I CAN C NCH OF WA TER AUSE A COS MAGE TLY TO YO UR PR OPERT Y
FLASH FLOODS OFTEN BRING WALLS OF WATER 10 TO 20 FEET HIGH
FLOODS ARE SERIOUS ! FLOODS OCCUR IN THE UK EVERY YEAR
When many people try to imagine the dangers posed by floodwaters, they tend to think of drowning. People can certainly drown during floods - - there’s no doubt about that. But drowning is not necessarily the most common cause of death in a flood. Even if you’re a phenomenal swimmer, rushing floodwaters pose a danger to you. The sheer force of rushing water can be quite strong; it can knock you off of your feet, toss you around, throw you against objects and disorient you in the process. Es-
pecially strong floodwaters can even push cars and buildings around easily - - a mere 2 feet (61 centimeters) of rushing floodwater can have enough force to wash a car away. In addition to the threats posed to human life, floodwaters are massively destructive to property. Water pulls everything in its path into it, collecting a lot of dirt and debris along the way. So even once the waters have receded, the mud and debris left in areas and buildings can create an enormous amount of property damage.
E Although all flooding is dangerous, flash flooding represents the gravest threat. A flash flood occurs when a sudden, extreme amount of water is dumped on an area that can't handle it. Flash floods are particularly dangerous because, by definition, they happen more quickly than people are prepared to handle. Taking right actions after the flood has occured is also important. Listen to a radio or television and don’t return home until authorities
indicate it is safe to do so. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance like infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities. These are the only few actions that you can take, however listening to radio is very important as it can be the main source for vital information that could save your life. Radio can provide you with important diections and instructions.
Make sure to insure your property as floods can cause lots of damage to your house. Read all the details before insuring your house and see if your insurer covers you from floods and it’’s damage.
house
P Try to keep flood water out
Doors: buy purposebuilt flood boards that can be installed when flooding is imminent. You can also raise door thesholds. Walls and floors: raise damp-proof brick courses. Sealing floors can prevent water rising through the ground. Drains and pipes: fit
nonreturn valves to drains and water inlet and outlet pipes.
Shelving: put irreplaceable or valuable items on high-mounted shelves. Home entertainment: fix your audio-visual equipment, for example your TV and hi-fi, to the wall about 1.5meters above floor level.
Prepare your property for flooding
DONT BE LEFT HOMELESS IT PAYS TO PREPARE FOR FLOODING
If your home or business is flood- flood-proof a property, there are ed it can be costly, not just in lots of things you can do to reduce terms of money and time but also the damage flooding can cause. inconvenience and heartache. The key is to act now so you’re preWhile it’s impossible to completely pared if there’s a flood in your area.
Making your property resilient to floodwater will limit the distress and damage caused by flooding, which means less costly repairs and less time out of your home or business premises. The cost of purchasing and installing products to keep floodwater out of your property will depend on the size of your property and the type of flood you want to protect against. For example, according to the ABI, to protect your property against shallow flash floods could cost between £2,000 - £6,000. To keep water out during periods of prolonged flooding will take bigger changes and could cost between £20,000 -£40,000. There is a variety of products that you can purchase. A comprehensive list of these can be found in ‘The Blue Pages’ directory on the National Flood Forum’s website www.floodforum.org.uk.
O W MUCH WILL IT COST ?
WHAT DO
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!?
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The Thames Barrier is one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world. The Environment Agency runs and maintains the Thames Barrier as well as the capital’s other flood defences. The barrier spans 520
metres across the River Thames near Woolwich, and it protects 125 square kilometres of central London from flooding caused by tidal surges. It became operational in 1982 and has 10 steel gates
that can be raised into position across the River Thames. When raised, the main gates stand as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge. Each main gate weighs 3,300 tonnes.
BUILD BARRIERS TO PROTECT YOU
DONT BE AFRAID TO RING 24 HOURS A DAY
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
WE ARE HERE TO HELP Sign up for warnings Knowing when to put temporary flood protection measures in place is cruicial. Our free Floodline Warnings Direct service can tell you when to do this by sending you a warning by phone, text and email.
INCIDENT HOTLINE FLOODLINE
0800 80 70 60 0845 988 1188
Editorial piece by Martynas Kasiulevicius all rights reserved.
Sign up for Floodline Warnings Direct online at www.environmentagency.gov. uk or call Floodline on 0845 988 1188.