As winter approaches, Warwickshire County Council is working with communities, businesses and partner organisations across the county to prepare for potential flooding, while encouraging residents...
As winter approaches, Warwickshire County Council is working with communities, businesses and partner organisations across the county to prepare for potential flooding, while encouraging residents to take simple steps that can help protect their homes and stay safe during severe weather.
Flooding can have a devastating impact on homes, transport networks and local communities. While no one organisation can prevent all flooding from occurring, Warwickshire County Council and its partners work throughout the year to reduce risks wherever possible, prepare for severe weather and help communities recover more quickly when flooding does happen.
To help be better prepared, residents are being encouraged to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings, prepare a household flood plan and know how to report flooding incidents. Taking action before bad weather arrives can help protect people, property and communities.
Behind the scenes, the Council's Flood Risk Management Team works year-round to review planning applications, help residents understand local flood risks, investigate flooding incidents and identify opportunities to reduce future impacts. Information reported by residents plays an important role in building a better understanding of flood hotspots across Warwickshire and helps inform future mitigation work.
At the same time, the County Highways Team maintains more than 115,000 highway gullies across Warwickshire, with locations at greater risk inspected more frequently to help keep water flowing during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Council also works closely with the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Resilience Team, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Warwickshire Resilience Forum, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water to coordinate preparedness activities, monitor risks and ensure plans are in place to support communities during severe weather events.
Councillor Robert Gisbourne is the Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue, Community Safety and Flooding at Warwickshire County Council said:
"Preparing for flooding is a shared responsibility, and the best time to prepare is before severe weather arrives.
“Across Warwickshire, our teams and partner organisations work throughout the year to reduce flood risks, maintain infrastructure and ensure we are ready to respond when flooding occurs.
“We are encouraging residents to take a few simple steps now by checking their flood risk, signing up for flood warnings and thinking about what they would do if flooding affected their home.”
Residents can find flooding advice, guidance on reporting flooding and information about local flood risk at: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/flooding
Information on how to be better prepared can be found here: https://www.warwickshireresilienceforum.org/prepare/