Flooding advice

If you have a problem with flooding, please contact our environmental health team using the contact details below.

If you have an urgent problem, we will visit you immediately or within three working days for non-urgent problems.

If the problem is our responsibility to fix, we will arrange for remedial work to be carried out. If we can't help, we will advise you who can.

If you need to contact us out of normal working hours, please contact our out-of-hours service. You can find more details about how to do this on our contacting us in an emergency page.

Help with sandbags

We have a limited number of sandbags that we can issue where there is an imminent threat of flooding to your home. If you are worried about flooding, please call our environmental health team using the contact details below. If there is another emergency, this line may be busy, but we will deal with your call as quickly as we can.

Damage to your home

If your home has been damaged by flooding and you need help finding somewhere to stay, please contact our housing options team using the contact details below.  If you need to contact us out-of-hours please call our customer services number.

If your home has been structurally damaged by flooding and you would like advice, please contact our building control team using the contact details below.

Being prepared for floods

You are responsible for protecting your own property against flooding. If you think that you are at risk:

• Check your household insurance cover is adequate and up-to-date
• If you live in a high risk area, keep a small stock of empty sandbags and sand, which can be used to protect doorways and air vents
• Install purpose-made flood guards in the form of plastic door and window boards, air brick covers and silicone sealant for windows or build skirt systems and barrier flood defence systems
• Make sure you know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water, if necessary

If flooding is likely

• Fill sandbags about two thirds full and position them, remembering to block air-bricks and other low-level openings
• Move valuable items and food upstairs
• Have spare clothing, waterproofs, wellingtons, torches, batteries, radio and food easily accessible. Electricity and gas supplies may be cut off
• Store some drinking water in bottles in case water or sewage contaminates the public supply
• Check that neighbours know about any flood warnings, especially if they are elderly, sick or disabled

If your home is flooded

• Contact your insurers as soon as you can
• Have your electricity and gas checked by your supplier or qualified technician before switching them on
• Throw away any food that has been in contact with flood water

Flooding outside

• Don't let children play in flood water. It may have sewage in it
• Be aware of open manholes. You could drown if you step into one

Flooded gardens

A high water table usually causes flooded gardens, so we cannot directly help. However, we may be able to look at the problem and give advice on how to deal with the situation.

Minimising health risks from flooding

Public Health England flooding advice has published advice on its website about how to minimise health risks from flooding.

These risk include serious injury from fast flowing water or hidden dangers under the water, such as missing manhole covers. There is also a serious danger posed by carbon monoxide fumes from using generators indoors to dry out buildings. The stress and strain of being flooded and cleaning up can also affect people's mental health and wellbeing.

The website also includes information on how to clean up your home safely after a flood and the answers to frequently asked questions.

For more advice, see the flooding advice on Public Health England's website.

Flood alerts from the Environment Agency

You can find out about the local weather warnings from the Environment Agency using the live widget below.

For real time flood information, you can also call the Environment Agency's Flood line 0345 9881188 or call the text phone on 0345 602 6340.

Sign up to the Environment Agency Flood Alert Service

You can register with the Environment Agency's Floodline Warnings Direct service if your home or business is at risk of flooding.

Advice for businesses

You can find useful information for businesses on flooding on the Environment Agency website.