Emergencies

To check your flood risk from rivers, surface water and other types of flooding:

• Visit: Check for flooding (GOV.UK).
• Phone: 0345 988 1188 (Floodline).

If your home or business is at risk, sign up for the free flood alert service (GOV.UK).

What you will need to provide:

• The property address you want flood warnings for.
• An email address.
• A way to contact you at any time of the day or night. (You can choose phone, text or email.)

• Make a list of all your personal contact numbers. (Include friends and family.)
• Keep a copy in a place you could find it quickly. (For example, in your emergency kit bag.)
• Give a copy to each member of your family.
• Make sure you update all copies when something changes.

It may also be useful to store personal contact numbers on your mobile phone.

• Note: In an emergency, phone networks are likely to be very busy.
• Try to only use your mobile for essential calls/texts:
  • to find out if people are safe;
  • or to let people know you are safe.

Add an 'In Case of Emergency' (ICE) to the start of a number in your contact list. This is what emergency services look for if something happens to you as a result of the incident.

Create a plan!

This makes you and your family think about what actions you need to take in an emergency, before it happens. If you are advised to evacuate and need to leave in a hurry, essentials may be forgotten in the rush.

Things to think about when you create a plan:

• Discuss the kind of emergencies that could happen.
• Identify possible escape routes from you home and keep window/door keys in an accessible place.
• Agree a couple of meeting points in case you cannot get home. Make sure all members of the family know where the meeting points are.
• Consider where you could stay in case you are asked to evacuate your home, for example with a family friend.
• Create an Emergency Kit Bag in case you need to evacuate your home quickly.
• Know how and where to turn gas, electric and water supplies off.
• Think about arrangements for family pets in case you need to leave your home.
• Keep tins of food, bottled water, matches, candles and a battery operated radio in case you cannot leave your home.
• Consider neighbours who may need extra help because they are vulnerable or disabled.
• Make sure you have adequate and up to date insurance.
• Make a personal contact list.
• Find out about emergency plans for your workplace and children's school.

Keep a copy of your plan in a safe and easy to access place. Make sure all members of your family agree with the content of the plan. Note: Review your plan twice a year to check the information is still relevant.

In an emergency you may be evacuated from your home quickly. It is important to have essentials to hand. Then they can be collected quickly on your way out if it is safe to do so. Here are some items you could keep in the kit bag:

• Key documents, such as passport, driving licence, insurance details.
• Personal contact list.
• First aid kit.
• Written procedures for turning off gas, electric and water.
• Details of prescription medication/equipment. (Make sure these are kept up to date.)
• Mobile phone and charger.
• Spare glasses or contact lenses.
• Whistle, for attracting attention.
• Toiletries, including nappies and sanitary supplies.
• Any special items for babies, children, elderly or disabled people.
• Spare set of keys.
• Bottled water and energy bars.
• Coins/cash.
• A torch and batteries or wind up torch.
• Change of clothes.
• Notebook and pencil.

In severe weather events, you may be in your home without gas, electricity or water for a long time. So, you should keep some basic essentials in your home, such as:

• Tins of food.
• Bottled water.
• Blankets.
• Battery operated or wind-up radio.
• Candles and matches.
• Wind-up torch.

If you own a car, keep some supplies in your boot. This will make sure you are comfortable, if you must stay in your vehicle for a number of hours. It may be useful to keep these items in your car:

• Bottled water.
• Long life snacks.
• First Aid Kit.
• Torch and batteries.
• Mobile phone and cigar plug lead.
• Useful phone numbers.
• Blankets and warm clothing.
• Waterproof coat and hat.
• Wellingtons or waterproof boots.
• Spare thick socks.
• Spade.

Flooding can happen very quickly, giving you little time to act. If you prepare a plan it is the best way to protect yourself from the risk of flooding. Also, from the effects of flooding if the worst should happen.

For more about this, visit: Prepare a Flood Plan (Eye on Calderdale).