The Environment Agency has launched new flood warning services across the West Midlands that will help to warn almost 13,000 additional property owners of the risk of flooding.
Flood warnings inform the public about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and help people make decisions about how to respond.
Three new flood warning services went live today in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, covering 280 properties. This takes the total number of properties to benefit from the new service over the last two years to 12,788 across 30 new areas.
The move is part the nationwide flood warning expansion project, which is increasing England's flood warning service to previously hard-to-reach at risk properties.
Ian Jones, Environment Agency area flood and coastal risk manager for the West Midlands, said:
We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding, which is why we're pleased that there are more communities across the West Midlands receiving the new service.
We are informing all addresses who are benefiting from the service and encouraging people to sign up for alerts. We know how devastating flooding can be, which is why we remain committed to helping reduce the impact of flooding for any who may be affected.
There are three types of messages - flood alert, flood warning and severe flood warning. Each type can be triggered by particular weather or river conditions which cause flooding.
Residents are encouraged to prepare if they receive a flood alert, which could mean packing a bag with medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn't want to lose if flooding were to take place. A flood warning calls on people to act now, which means turning off gas, water and electricity, and moving family and pets to safety.
A severe flood warning means you are in immediate danger and to follow advice from emergency services.
Additional funding from the Government has enabled the Environment Agency to invest in the latest technology and infrastructure needed to provide a flood warning service in more than 200 communities across England. In total, an additional 110,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive flood warnings between now and the spring of 2023.
To check whether your home is located in this new flood warning area, visit https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/. If your home does lie within the flood warning area, it is vital that you sign-up to flood warnings to better protect yourselves and loved ones.
To sign up to the flood warning service, the Environment Agency is encouraging people to register directly with them by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visit https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings where you can register yourself or vulnerable family members/friends.
