Flooding – are you prepared?

Pupils from Heybrook Primary School enjoy a flood awareness day at Hollingworth Lake

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What if heavy rain and rising river levels were affecting your property or neighbourhood and you were concerned? Would you know how to report flooding? Are you and your family prepared? You may only have a few minutes to act and to leave your property in a flood, so you need to be ready.

These types of questions have been at the heart of the Defra funded Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder, a partnership between Rochdale Borough Council and the National Flood Forum with support from the Environment Agency and United Utilities. The project has worked in Wardleworth and central Heywood raising awareness of flood risk, showing residents and businesses how to reduce their risks and be more flood resilient.

Paul Cobbing, Chief Executive of the National Flood Forum said: “Flooding can be a traumatic experience. As well as the loss of possessions, people feel that their home has been violated and it can take many months to get back to normal. Because flooding can and does recur, people live in fear of it happening again. We know that people who are prepared suffer much less, so the National Flood Forum works with communities to reduce flood risk and its impact across the country.”

Being prepared often involves simple practical steps, and is not always expensive. Things like being careful about disposing of litter, fats and oils or making sure you can prepare a ‘grab bag’ with all the essentials you need to leave your property with in an emergency all help. Being better prepared can save lives and reduce the cost and disruption involved in getting back to normal.

Wardleworth Flood Action Group now has its own local flood action plan for example, and over 600 local school children have taken part in activities to increase their understanding of why flooding happens and how they can help.

Local Scouts in Heywood are running a ‘gully watch ‘project on local streets and in Rochdale, Scouts are involved in a ‘river watch’ project along the River Roch in Wardleworth. There have been events and activities to reduce flood risks from litter and tipping and to improve the environment on land adjoining the River Roch.

We’ve established a series of ‘hubs’ in the community. In community centres, libraries, council offices and businesses you can now get information about how to report flooding and being more flood resilient. Currently located in Heywood, Wardleworth and Rochdale town centre, we’ll be establishing further locations this year throughout the borough, including Littleborough.

We’ve also produced an information pack containing advice to help people to understand their flood risk and be better prepared for flooding and its aftermath.

Free copies are available at local ‘hubs’ and can be downloaded via:

www.rochdale.gov.uk/flooding

This year there will be exhibitions, events and activities to help increase flood awareness and provide opportunities for local people to get more involved in practical activities to manage flood risk better.

If you are interested in starting or joining a local flood action group, doing something practical to help reduce flood risk in your neighbourhood or want to discuss how you can be more flood resilient, contact Sarah Parkington of the National Flood Forum:

sarah.parkington@floodforum.org.uk

Get more information and advice at:

www.rochdale.gov.uk/flooding

The National Flood Forum provide advice on being better prepared for flooding including insurance, flood resilience products and support the establishment of local flood action groups:

www.floodforum.org.uk