Floods can kill – Protect yourself before your property!
What you should do
- If you are in immediate danger call 999.
- If you have a flood plan, put this into action. Ensure you have an emergency kit containing essential items.
- Turn off gas, electricity and water.
- Keep up to date - check local radio stations and national radio stations. Try and use a battery or wind up radio if you do not have access to a working mobile phone.
- If safe to do so, check on elderly, frail or disabled relatives and neighbours in flooded areas to find out if they are okay or if you need to alert the emergency services for assistance. If you are concerned about someone you cannot reach, contact Adult Social Care or the Emergency Duty Team out of office hours (5pm–9am).
- If it is not safe to go outside, stay indoors unless advised to evacuate by the emergency services.
- If you are asked to leave your property, you will be told to go to a nearby Assembly Point from where you will be transported to a Local Authority Rest Centre.
- Be aware that in a major incident the emergency services will be overwhelmed and may take some time to arrive.
- If you leave your home in a high flood risk area to stay somewhere else, tell the Police on Tel: 101 or your Local Authority, either Surrey County Council's contact centre on 03456 009 009 or your local borough or district council, where you have gone, who is with you and how you can be contacted.
- Keep your pets indoors and away from flood waters.
- Be aware of the health risks of flooding. Wash your hands if you have been in contact with flood water which may contain toxic substances.
What you shouldn't do
- Don't be tempted to go and see where the flooding is occurring, especially near rivers.
- Don't try to walk through floodwater - 15cm of fast flowing water can knock you over.
- Don't try to walk or drive through floodwater - just 30cm of water could move your car.
- Never try to swim through fast flowing water - you may get swept away or be struck by an object in the water.
- Don't walk by riverbanks or cross river bridges if possible - they may collapse in extreme situations.
- Don't eat contaminated food, see flooding: food safety advice on the Food Standards Agency website.