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Flooding precautions and response
Hubby wrote this for a group on a different forum system and I thought it
might be useful he Floods While Britain does not suffer from some of the most horrendous weather events experienced elsewhere in the world, we do have our fair share of floods, and they are getting worse! Flooding usually comes from 1 or more of 3 sources: Exceptional rainfall Heavy snowfall followed by a rapid thaw Storm surges Our flooding since the start of the new millennium has mainly been from exceptional rainfall. This has given events such as the flash flood in Boscastle in 2004 http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Boscastle/flood.htm, the repeated river overflows in Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, and elsewhere, particularly in 2007 and 2010, and some towns and cities having areas flooded by overflowing drains and excessive surface water on paved areas. That latter effect has caught many people who live miles from the nearest river and have never experience flooding before, nor expected to. Meanwhile some towns and cities like York http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ap...ds-wet-weather and Tewksbury http://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3436 that have known occasional flooding many times over the centuries have found it becoming an annual event. And it is continuing, as this report from today 23 June 2012 shows. http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16251933 Depending on the level, flooding can be anything from an inconvenience to a disaster. If your house or business is affected by deep flooding you will almost certainly have to evacuate and in many cases people have not been able to return to use the buildings for over a year. We have had *** members in this situation and they initially went to a hotel or local evacuation centre and were eventually moved to temporary accommodation, in 1 case a caravan, for almost 18 months before the family could return to their home. In some buildings the foundations or structure is so badly damaged the only safe alternative is demolition. Threats: So, what are the threats from flooding? Drowning - people drown in their buildings, in their cars, and on the street when the water catches them unexpectedly or while trying to evacuate, and often, tragically, while trying to rescue another person or animal Electrocution - in a building or outside when power lines are brought down or substations flooded Chemicals - flushed out of their normal storage Sewage and other biological hazards Injury - Flood waters can move heavy objects e.g. trees, fences, cars, etc, at high speed. If you are struck by one of these objects you might sustain severe injury. The water also covers many sharp and otherwise dangerous items, so moving through even still flood water can pose many hazards. From *** member ******: "I was part of the emergency response in South Yorkshire in 2007. Flood water is nasty stuff containing all sorts of pathogens, as well as chemicals. Debris floats in layers; light stuff on the surface and heavier stuff sub surface. One of the major risks in flooded towns and cities isn't submerged obstacles but submerged holes. In South Yorkshire lots of drain covers were lifted away and several people went into these holes, luckily they survived. Also the flood waters can rise very suddenly as we witnessed in Rotherham when a retaining wall gave way lifting the level in our operational area by a foot in seconds. The airwave system went down, rendering communications none existent except by VHF/UHF. The power went out leaving the naughty ones free to go about their naughty ways too, not to mention the fact that the emergency services were tied up with the response. There were some issues around movement even under escort. Apart from being hindered by the rising waters, the number of abandoned vehicles, trapped motorists and rubber-neckers presented a real hindrance. If you're trying to leave a flooded area you may need to rethink your plan." And what can you do to minimise the threat? Precautions and preparations: The first thing to do is evaluate your risk of flooding. Go online to the Environment Agency website and research the flood risk and warnings for your area. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...eisure/floods/ Sign up for the SMS and email warnings and find out what other alert measures might be available in your area. Prepare a Flood Plan. This should include: Safety plan - Know how to turn off your electricity, gas, and water supplies. Do it before the flood water reaches the switches! Protection plan - know what to do to prevent or delay water entering your property. Store the equipment and supplies you will need e.g. sandbags, flood boards, airbrick covers, etc, in a place you will be able to get them. Storage plan - the things you will not take with you if you evacuate but want to protect by moving them upstairs or to some other safe location. Keep this plan easily available! In an emergency you have many things to think about and a list will help you not to forget something you might otherwise mourn the loss of. Think about pets, valuables (monetary and emotional), vehicles, electronics, furnishings, etc. Remember that looting of evacuated buildings is very common. Even if you make things safe from the water you might lose them to thieves. Evacuation plan - how will you get out, where will you go, what will you take? Contact plan - with numbers for family, relatives, and emergency services, insurance companies, etc. Agree who someone who is out of the area when flooding occurs should call if they cannot contact you directly, and close and more distant meeting places that are not likely to be affected by the flooding. If you haven't already got one prepare an evacuation bag. Include: A file with your essential documents - insurance policies, bank details, vehicle paperwork, cheque book, list of emergency contact numbers, electronic copy of family photographs, education certificates, birth and marriage certificates, medical records and/or prescriptions, spare house and car keys, etc A full set of clothing for each family member and a change of socks and underwear Wash kit Personal medicines Phone charger Some cash or a spare credit card Torch Biro and notebook Special supplies for children or pets What to do if it happens: Keep informed about the situation - if you have online access keep visiting relevant sites. Tune your radio to a local station and listen for news and warnings. Watch the area around you. Make sure neighbours and friends you care about also know what is happening and what to do. Make arrangements to help one another where you can. Put your Plans into action. If the flooding is so sudden that you cannot get out, move yourself, family, evacuation kit, and emergency supplies to the safest place in the building, then prepare for signalling to potential rescuers. If you can escape, secure your property and then get out early - the longer you leave it the more difficult and dangerous evacuation will be. Take great care when moving through water and test to ensure you do not get in too deep. Six inches of moving water can knock you over if you are walking and 2 feet can lift and float your car. If someone gets into difficulties remember the 4 ways to help - Talk to give advice and reassurance; Reach with a rope, branch or pole; Throw something that will help them stay afloat; Row if there is a suitable boat or raft. If you find yourself being carried away by fast flowing water: never put your feet down - the basic defensive swimming posture is on the back with the feet downstream in the direction of flow, knees bent and heels slightly lower than the buttocks. Never tie a rope around a rescuer/ person entering the water. Rescuers have died clipped or tied to a rope, trapped underwater by the force of the river and unable to cut their way free. If you have had to move through flood water, then as soon as you are safe get out of the wet clothes and wash and disinfect yourself and the clothes Put your contact plan into action - let family and friends know you are safe and how they can contact you Contact your insurance company - and landlord if you have one - and employer to let them know what has happened and how to contact you If you need additional official help contact your council, and for other help any support group you might have. After the flood: When the waters recede it will be time to take stock and begin recovery action. As soon as possible, return home to secure your property Take care as you enter because: flooring might be damaged or displaced, other structures including staircases might be unsafe there could be an electrical hazard anything touched by the floodwater will be contaminated there might be human or animal intruders Make a list and loss-evaluation of any property destroyed or damaged and take photographs or videos. Your insurance company will make arrangements to assess the damage to the building and make arrangements for repair. Do NOT switch on any of the mains utilities until they have been checked and approved as safe by a professional. Do NOT use any food or drink any water that might have been in contact with flood water. Water under pressure might have been forced into bottles, jars, or packets. Thoroughly clean the outside of sealed tins before opening. Do not drink tap water until it has been declared safe and then not until you have run enough through your water system to thoroughly flush and clean it. If you are cleaning up yourself expect: Outside: fallen walls and fences, all plants other than trees and large bushes washed away, missing rubbish bins, muck and rubbish everywhere Inside: destroyed carpets, falling plaster, disgusting smells, ruined cupboards/furniture/kitchen white goods/stuff in the garage/workshop/shed (including preps?) If you need to pump out water including from under the floorboards, you can hire a pump or might be able to get one from the council. Check with your insurance company first, this might be part of their tasks and only to be done when their contractor decides it is safe to do so. If you are cleaning up yourself you can use ordinary cleaning products, a garden hose, etc, but do wear overalls and rubber gloves and boots. You might need a skip or lots of rubbish bags. The council might arrange extra collections. It will take much longer for the house to dry and be restored than you think: be patient! Be aware, especially if you are living close-by in a caravan, that thieves will be waiting to take any opportunity to steal materials as your home is being repaired. Some of our members had the new copper piping and other fittings stolen 3 times before the property was repaired enough to be secured! Floods are bad news, but you can limit their effects and dangers by proper awareness, planning and response, and as in all emergencies many of the preps you do will be as useful for this one as any of the others. -- -- http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/ |
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