We are supporting National Flood Action Week, 7 – 11 November.
On Friday we are running a free session about communicating flood risk during an incident for flood wardens, communicating groups or anyone who has a role in flood risk management to help increase resilience in our region. It is part of a week of webinars and seminars run by the Yorkshire Flood Resilience team in the Environment Agency.
It will be based on a shortened version of our award-winning engagement exercise – you can watch a video about how it works. The exercise was developed as part of our iCASP project to develop tools to improve how we communicate about flood risk.
Almost two in three households at risk from flooding do not believe their homes could flood – according to a recent poll by the Environment Agency. But just because flooding hasn’t happened to you in the past, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.
In England there are over five million properties at risk of flooding. Research shows that people who haven’t taken action to prepare for flooding are in the clear minority (30%), but this still means that as many as 1.5 million households who are at risk are yet to prepare. With climate change already causing more frequent, intense flooding and sea level rise, we all need to know what to do, should the worst happen.
The risks of not taking action
According to the Environment Agency, the average cost of flooding to a home is around £30,000. Flooding also brings a significant risk to life. The mental health impacts of flooding can last for 2 years or more after flooding has happened. Depression, anxiety and PTSD can affect up to a third of people who have been flooded.
But, crucially, taking steps to prepare for flooding, and knowing what to do in a flood can significantly reduce the damages to a home and possessions (by around 40%)[i], reduce risk to life, and reduce the likelihood of suffering from mental health impacts in the future.
Know how to Prepare. Act. Survive.
The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to prepare for flooding, which could help keep you and your family safe, and save you thousands of pounds in damages and disruption. The below infographic sets out the steps you can take.
