Wiltshire Council encourages residents and businesses to prepare for potential flooding this winter

With winter approaching and the risk of prolonged rainfall, storms and flooding increasing, Wiltshire Council is encouraging residents and businesses to take simple steps now to prepare and protect themselves from flooding.

Flooding can happen quickly and from a variety of sources, including rivers, groundwater, surface water, drainage systems and ordinary watercourses. Periods of prolonged rainfall can increase the risk of flooding across Wiltshire, affecting homes, businesses, roads and local communities.

The council is reminding residents that taking action before severe weather arrives can help reduce the impact of flooding and give people more time to protect themselves, their families and their property.

There are several simple steps people can take to be better prepared:

• Know your risk: check if your home or business is in a flood-prone area using the Environment Agency's flood risk map at https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/ This is especially useful if you live near a main river, as Environment Agency flood warnings specifically cover flooding from these sources.
• Sign up for alerts: https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings and enable Met Office weather alerts on your phone. Since surface water flooding is usually caused by heavy rainfall, having Met Office alerts switched on is just as important as flood warnings.
• Make a flood plan: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/
• Check your risk from rivers and surface water, and create a flood plan with emergency contacts, evacuation routes, and a checklist of essential items: https://wiltshireandswindonprepared.org.uk/risks/preparing-for-a-flood
• Protect your property: move valuables upstairs when flooding is likely, prepare a flood kit with essential items. If you're in a high-risk area, consider investing in property-level flood protection products such as flood gates or barriers.
• Report issues: keep an eye on your surroundings, check for standing water in gardens, roads, and fields. If you spot blocked gullies, report them using the https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting. Surface water flooding can happen fast, so it's worth thinking ahead about how to protect your property.