Flooding: check your risk, sign up for warnings, make a plan

Step one: check your risk

Flooding can come from rivers, the sea, heavy rain overwhelming drains (surface water) and rising groundwater. Be Ready says around 6.3 million properties in England are in areas at risk from at least one of these. Checking yours is free and takes a minute:

England: check your long-term flood risk on GOV.UK.
Wales: Natural Resources Wales has a flood risk checker.
Scotland: SEPA’s flood maps.
Northern Ireland: see NI Direct’s flooding pages.

A low risk does not mean no risk, particularly from surface water after very heavy rain. It just tells you how much effort to put in.

Step two: get free flood warnings

In England, you can sign up for flood warnings by phone, text or email. They cover flooding from rivers, the sea and groundwater. If you have a disability or need extra help, you can call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 and ask for warnings in a way that suits you. Wales and Scotland have their own warning services, linked from the pages above.

Floodline (England, Wales, Scotland): 0345 988 1188
Report flooding from rivers or the sea (England, 24 hours): 0800 80 70 60
Flooding Incident Line (Northern Ireland, 24 hours): 0300 2000 100
Danger to life: 999

You can also check for flooding in the next five days at any time.

In Scotland, register for SEPA’s Floodline. In Wales, use the Natural Resources Wales flood warning service. GOV.UK notes that you cannot get flood warnings for surface water (“flash”) flooding, so keep an eye on Met Office rain warnings too.

The three warning levels (England)

Level	What it means	Usual timing	What to do
Flood alert	Flooding is possible	Usually 2 to 12 hours before flooding	Be ready to follow your flood plan. Have insurance documents and medicines ready. Avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.
Flood warning	Flooding is expected	Usually 30 minutes to 2 hours before flooding	Act now. Move people, pets and valuables upstairs or to higher ground. Turn off gas, electricity and water if you can do it without risk. Put flood protection in place.
Severe flood warning	Danger to life and significant disruption	Can be issued before, during or after flooding	Be ready to leave your home. Do as the emergency services tell you. Call 999 if you are in immediate danger.

Source: Environment Agency. Scotland and Wales use similar levels; check SEPA and Natural Resources Wales.

Step three: make a flood plan

The Environment Agency has a free personal flood plan template. Our household plan covers the basics too. Either way, write down:

Where your gas, electricity and water can be turned off, and how. The water stop tap is often under the kitchen sink, or outside near the boundary under a small cover.
Where you would go if you had to leave, and how you would get there.
What you would move upstairs or to a high shelf first: documents, medicines, photos, sentimental things.
Your insurer’s claims number and your policy number.

A grab bag

Be Ready suggests packing a bag in advance with medication, a first aid kit, important documents in waterproof bags, a torch, bottled water, warm waterproof clothing and anything a baby needs. Keep it somewhere you can reach quickly. Our 3-day kit guide has the full list.

Insurance

Check that your home and contents insurance covers flooding. If you have struggled to get cover because of flood risk, Flood Re, a joint initiative between the Government and insurers, aims to make the flood part of household insurance more affordable. Its site has a tool to check whether it can help your home.

If flooding is on its way

If there is a flood warning (flooding is expected) or a severe flood warning (danger to life) for your area:

Turn off gas, electricity and water if it is safe to do so. Never touch an electrical switch while standing in water.
Move people, pets, cars and important things to safety, upstairs or to higher ground.
Use flood protection such as barriers or air brick covers, if you have them.
Follow instructions from the council or emergency services. If you are asked to leave, leave.

Safety

Never walk, swim or drive through flood water. It can be much deeper and faster than it looks, and it hides open manholes, debris and sewage. If you meet a flooded road, turn around and find another way. GOV.UK warns that flood water may contain sewage and can hide rubbish, broken drain and manhole covers, and uneven roads and pavements.

If the power goes off and you are drying out or keeping warm, remember:

Carbon monoxide warning

Never use a barbecue, camping stove, patio heater or generator indoors, or in a garage, tent, porch or caravan awning. They give off carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas you cannot see, smell or taste. Fit an audible CO alarm marked EN 50291 (look for the BSI Kitemark) in rooms with fuel-burning appliances.

Headache, dizziness, feeling sick, tiredness, confusion and breathlessness can be signs of CO poisoning. Get into fresh air straight away. Call 999 if someone is seriously unwell, or NHS 111 for advice. If you suspect a leak, call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999 (0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland). NHS advice on carbon monoxide.

After a flood

Water levels can rise and fall for weeks. Stay out of flood water unless you have no choice.
Flood water often contains sewage. Wash your hands with warm soapy water after touching it or anything it has touched.
Do not switch electrics back on until they have been checked by a qualified electrician, or gas appliances until checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
If you are insured, call your insurer before you start clearing up, and keep a record of the dates and times you contact them. Photograph or film all the damage before you throw anything away. If you rent, ask your landlord to contact the buildings insurer; you claim on your own contents insurance.
If you smell gas, leave the property and call 0800 111 999 (0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland).
If you have no insurance, your local council can tell you about hardship grants or charities that can help. If you cannot live at home, ask the council about emergency accommodation.
Look after yourself. Being flooded is upsetting, and it is normal to feel stressed for a long time afterwards. Talk to your GP if it is affecting you.

Kit for this guide

Items for a flood grab bag, drawn from Be Ready advice. All research-based; we list no products or prices. We have not reviewed property flood protection such as barriers or air brick covers.

Waterproof bags for documents and medicines Research-based
Torch with spare batteries Research-based
Warm, waterproof clothing and wellies Research-based
Bottled water Research-based
Phone charger and charged power bank Research-based

No products, brands or prices yet, and no affiliate links. What “Research-based” and “Tested by us” mean.

Official sources we used

Flooding (Be Ready, UK Government)
Check your long-term flood risk (England) (GOV.UK / Environment Agency)
Sign up for flood warnings (GOV.UK / Environment Agency)
Check for flooding in the next 5 days (GOV.UK)
Flood alerts and warnings: what they are and what to do (Environment Agency)
What to do during a flood (GOV.UK)
Register for Floodline (Scotland) (SEPA)
Flood warning service (Wales) (Natural Resources Wales)
After a flood: making an insurance claim (NI Direct)
Personal flood plan (Environment Agency)
Prepare for flooding (GOV.UK)
Flooding (Natural Resources Wales)
Flood maps (SEPA (Scotland))
Rain and flooding (Ready Scotland)
Flooding (NI Direct)
Flood Re (Flood Re)
Flooding and health: public advice (UK Health Security Agency)

We link to official pages so you can check the latest advice yourself. If something here differs from what an official source says now, follow the official source. Where we quote or adapt official text, it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.