What to do in the event of a flood

In November 2023 Lincoln experienced localised flooding during storm Babet, where 2 months’ worth of rainfall fell in just 24 hours. This kind of extreme weather isn’t common, but in the future may become more frequent with climate change, so we want to share some practical advice on being prepared in the event of a flood or excessive rainfall.

If your property is close to an area of water such as the Brayford Pool or Sincil Bank it may be considered as high risk for flooding. Even if you do not live in one of these areas, extreme rainfall can affect your property in different ways. Many properties will experience leaks and damp when they have never had problems before. Extreme weather can also affect drainage when huge quantities of water can’t be removed quickly enough, and there are some practical steps you can take to minimise the damage to your property in the event of severe weather.

Following storm Babet, the Government made some recommendations for dealing with floods, which you can read on the Govenment website here: What to do before or during a flood - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you receive a flood alert from Cloud, or from the local authority, consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days. You can prepare for this by putting together some emergency supplies:

• Battery or wind-up torch
• Portable power bank for charging your mobile phone
• Spare batteries for torch
• First aid kit - including items such as waterproof plasters, bandages, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings, medical tape and gloves.
• Wet wipes and hand sanitiser for hygiene purposes when the water is off.
• Bottled water - there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts. A minimum of 3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets.
• Non-perishable food that does not require cooking (e.g. tinned meat, fruit or vegetables) and tin opener to last 3 days.
• Baby supplies if applicable (e.g. nappies and formula).
• Pet supplies if applicable.
• Any of your medication.

If you have the opportunity to stay with friends or family in a location away from home, make sure you do the following before leaving:

1. Turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies, if it’s safe to do so - do not touch an electrical switch if you’re standing in water. You can find the location of the shut of points in your Property Information Pack or by scanning the QR code on your property information posters.
2. Move your family, vehicles, pets and important items to safety, for example upstairs or to higher ground.
3. If you have them or have been supplied them by the local authority or your landlord, use flood protection products, for example sandbags, flood barriers or air brick covers.
4. Follow advice from your local council or the emergency services.

If you find any leaks in your property due to extreme weather, where possible put something underneath the leak to catch water to prevent further damage. If this is not possible, please mop up or dry these areas as much as you can. You will need to make sure that any items or personal belongings are moved away from the wet or damp areas.

Once the weather is drier you will need to ensure the windows are open regularly for ventilation, items are kept away from wet areas until completely dried out. We have a limited number of dehumidifiers that will be distributed to properties in priority order. You can find out more information on using dehumidifiers here: cloudlettings.co.uk/blog