This London Flood Awareness Week (11 – 17 November) we’re making Londoners aware of flood risk in the capital and what they can do to be prepared. Follow us on @LDN_Environment for regular updates throughout the week.
To find out how prepared you are for a severe flood event in London, take our quiz.
Did you know that 1.3 million people live and work in areas of the city at risk of tidal and river flooding? How about that around a third of London’s basement properties are at risk of flooding in a severe storm? These are big numbers, and the problem could be even worse without London’s extensive flood defence system, including the iconic Thames Barrier.
Flooding from heavy rainfall and burst water pipes can be unpredictable, and with the changing climate there are more regular and intense periods of rainfall which increase the likelihood of flood events. Unfortunately, these can happen anywhere, at any time. And they can have disproportionate effects on people who are least able to cope with flooding.
Whether it’s losing precious photographs, or having to replace furniture or important documents, flood damage can cost people a lot of money and take a long time to recover from. It can also have long-term mental health impacts.
That’s why we’re working with the Environment Agency, London Resilience and Thames Water to help Londoners better understand their risk of flooding, as well as the actions they can take to help protect themselves, their loved ones and their belongings from flooding.
There are lots of quick and simple things you can do now to help prepare for flooding. For example, you can:
- check your risk of flooding from heavy rainfall, rivers and the tidal Thames by typing your address into the Environment Agency’s flood risk checker
- sign up for severe weather alerts from the Met Office put your precious and important belongings somewhere safe, like a high shelf or in a waterproof container
- prepare an emergency bag with the things you’ll need if you have to leave your home, such as medicine and important documents
- create a personal flood plan
- get to know your community better so that you can help others who might need assistance
To find out more about how to prepare for flooding, check out the campaign’s webpage.