Preparing for flooding
Flooding is commonly associated with rising water and burst rivers, but heavy rainfall can also flood our streets, homes, and businesses.
Types of flooding
- Fluvial flooding (river flooding) happens when a river or stream cannot cope with the amount of water or is blocked.
- Pluvial flooding (surface water flooding) happens during heavy rainfall when the drainage or sewer system cannot cope.
- Sewer flooding happens when a sewer pipe becomes blocked or equipment fails.
- Reservoir flooding happens when a dam fails or during extreme rainfall.
Flooding can pose a serious risk to life and property. There are many simple precautions you can take to reduce the damage caused by flooding:
- check you have sufficient insurance cover for your home and vehicle
- protect your home with flood defences if necessary
- prepare a grab bag of essential items in case you need to leave quickly
- prepare an emergency plan and discuss it with your family
- stock up on food and bottled water in case you cannot get to the shops
Check the flood risk to your property
Page last updated: 4 September 2026
