Preparing for floods

Despite the work the Council and partner Risk Management Authorities (RMAs) are doing to manage flood risk in the city, unfortunately we will never be able to prevent flooding in Derby. The key to limiting the damage to property in flood risk areas is the preparedness of individuals, families and businesses.

Preparing for floods

The first step to flood preparedness is checking if your property or workplace is in an area prone to or at risk of flooding.

This can be done by searching by location on the Environment Agency's flood maps. Here you can select to view the flood risk rating for any area from rivers and separately from surface water and reservoirs.

If you live or work in an area identified as at risk on these maps, then it is strongly advised that you follow guidance on preparing for flooding. Information on how to become more resilient to flooding can be found on the Before, during and after a flood page.

Stay informed

As part of your household preparation for possible flooding from rivers you should register for the Environment Agency's Flood Warnings Direct service.

This is a free service which sends you a direct message when flooding is expected which may affect your property. You can receive warnings by telephone, mobile, email, text message or fax.

For properties identified as at risk from surface water flooding it is strongly recommended to take note of the Met Office severe weather warnings for rain. This will give a good indication of when heavy rainfall can be expected to enable you to take action. Severe weather warnings are available from the Met office website, and are also available on local media and using many mobile devices.

Flood insurance

It is essential that you ensure that your home and contents insurance covers damage from flooding. There has recently been a great deal of publicity covering this subject and the Flood Reinsurance Scheme Regulations (Flood Re) which ensure fair insurance for properties in high risk areas.

For more information on flood insurance visit the National Flood Forum or telephone them directly on 01299 403055. In all cases you should check your insurance policy carefully and if in any doubt, contact your insurance provider directly.

Personal flood plan

As well as preparing your property for possible flooding, you are advised to make a personal flood plan for yourself and your family or your business.

This plan should detail what practical actions you will take before and during a flood which will help to reduce the damage flooding could cause.

The Environment Agency provides some guidance on making a flood plan on their website. Please do not wait until a flood happens to make these plans as there may not be enough time to prepare fully.

Sandbags

We can supply sandbags to properties at risk of flooding. For further information, please refer to our sandbag policy.

Riparian ownership

If you are a riparian owner of a watercourse, for example if you live next to a watercourse, or a watercourse flows through your land, you have very important and specific legal responsibilities to manage flood risk. Further details can be found on the Riparian Ownership page.

Managing surface water flood risk

It is our responsibility to maintain the drainage systems for the road network to ensure that they efficiently remove surface water from the highway surface.

We will routinely cleanse highway gullies to keep them in good working order, however they may become blocked very quickly when materials like mud, stones or leaves are carried on to the road during heavy rainfall. As an individual, we ask that you:

• Ensure your activities do not adversely affect the performance of surface water gullies. Please do not put anything (such as leaves, soil or litter) into gullies.
• Report any gully blockages and report any flooding incidents to us. For foul sewer blockages and water main flooding, please report the fault to Severn Trent Water.
• Ensure you keep private drains on your property clear and in good working order. If they become blocked, please call a drainage contractor to deal with the blockage.

Information on other websites

• Prepare your property for flooding: A guide for householders and small businesses
  • Environment Agency leaflet describing some of the main flood resilience measures the homeowner could consider for their property.
• Homeowners Guide to Flood Resilience: A Living Document
  • Know Your Flood Risk Campaign booklet detailing methods of making your home more resilient to flood water and the products/suppliers you may consider to help with this.
• National Flood Forum Blue Pages Directory
  • An independent online directory of flood protection products and services that is designed as a database to signpost products that are available to help you protect your home from flooding.
• Check flood warnings and river levels (Environment Agency)
  • Find out if you’re at risk from river, surface water or groundwater flooding now, in the next few days or long term.