Guidance

Community flood plan

Updated 15 November 2023

Applies to England

漏 Crown copyright 2023

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Taking simple steps can go a long way to help protect your community from flooding. Preparing in advance will make it easier to respond to and recover from a flood.聽聽聽

Read our personal flood plan advice for core steps to take to stay safe in a flood.聽

1. Before a flood聽

Actions you can take to protect your community include to:聽

  • think how information will be communicated to residents and emergency services during a flood聽
  • describe or map emergency routes and evacuation points聽聽聽
  • list contact information and locations of residents who need help and who could provide help聽
  • list volunteers and their contact information聽
  • think about how to scale up your response if a flood gets worse聽

Make sure you comply with GDPR regulations when gathering personal information from people.聽

Think what a flood would look like in your area, so you know what signs to look out for.

These could include:聽

  • water level trigger points on a bridge or lamppost 聽
  • the condition of any local flood defences聽
  • the direction a flood could come from聽
  • the latest 聽

Think how to help people in your community. Volunteers could help:聽

  • with communication and administration聽
  • to move furniture and other possessions聽
  • to check on vulnerable neighbours聽

1.1 Test your flood plan聽

Regularly check if your flood plan will work, and the information is up to date.聽

You could ask your local Environment Agency office and council to help you carry out a simulated flooding event.聽

Think about who you could share your community flood plan with, for example your local council.聽

2. Community flood plan checklist聽

Some examples of information you could include in your plan are:聽

  • the flood warnings that you are registered for聽
  • local flood triggers, for example if the water reaches the bottom of a bridge聽
  • a list of locations at risk of flooding聽
  • their trigger level and actions to take聽
  • any equipment you might need聽
  • what timescale you might need to do your plan聽
  • emergency contact information聽
  • location and contact details of vulnerable people聽

Make sure you comply with GDPR regulations when gathering personal information from people.聽

Make a list of important contacts, including:聽

  • building services聽
  • utility suppliers聽聽
  • volunteers/flood wardens聽

Make a list of information about people who can help and how. For example, people who can help with:聽

  • installing flood protection products聽
  • moving people to safe locations聽
  • emergency storage聽
  • emergency supplies聽
  • medical support聽

3. Immediately before a flood聽

The emergency services are responsible for making sure the public are safe and co-ordinating the incident response.聽

Do not put yourself or others at risk.聽

4. When a flood happens聽

Follow your flood plan. You can also follow advice in:聽

5. After a flood聽

Follow your flood plan. You can also follow advice in:聽

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