Flooding support
Over the last few years, flooding caused by extreme rainfall has become a bigger issue in Lancashire and across the country. Heavy rain has had a devastating impact where people have had to leave their homes and seen valuables destroyed by flood water.
Before a flood
There are things you can do to reduce the impact of flooding and preparing in advance will help you keep calm during a stressful situation.
What you can do now
Get home insurance - Make sure you have the correct home insurance cover in case your property floods. The cost of recovery after a flood is on average £20,000. The Flood Re website has been set up to help those households who live in a flood risk area find affordable home insurance.
Make a flood plan – Having a flood plan will help you decide what practical actions to take before and during a flood to help reduce the impact of flooding to your home and in your community. See the Environment Agency's advice on how to create a personal flood plan
Prepare a flood kit – Put together a kit of essential items you would need to take with you if you had to evacuate your home including important documents, medication, and mobile phone. Download our useful flood kit checklist (PDF, 180kb).
Flood protection products - If you live in a high risk area or near a water course, you may want to consider investing in additional flood protection measures. The National Flood Forum has produced an independent directory of flood protection products and services called the Blue Pages.
Keep your drains and grids clear – Removing leaves and debris that are covering the top of your grids will help prevent blockages which could cause localised flooding in heavy rainfall.
If you own property next to a water course - for example a river, culvert, brook or mill stream, it's your responsibility to keep the bed and banks clear of anything that could cause an obstruction and increase flood risk. Find about your rights and responsibilities of riverside ownership or contact the Environment Agency if you have any queries about your responsibilities.
Visit The Flood Hub for advice on preparing for flood, how to create your household Flood Plan, what to do if you need to evacuate, and what to include in a flood kit or grab bag. It also shows you how to protect your property.
Preparing for reservoir flooding
Trained officials work hard to prepare for emergencies, but it’s important that if you live near a reservoir you are prepared and aware of what to do in an emergency to keep you and your family safe in the unlikely event that a reservoir dam failed.
Put together a grab bag of things you might need in an emergency.
Know who you would need to contact and how.
Be vigilant and be prepared to act quickly to get yourself to safety.
Over the last few years, flooding caused by extreme rainfall has become a bigger issue in Lancashire and across the country. Heavy rain has had a devastating impact where people have had to leave their homes and seen valuables destroyed by flood water.
The safety and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority. In order to support residents during periods of flooding and severe weather, the Council is committed to being open and transparent regarding when sandbags may be made available.
The County Council has no statutory duty to provide sandbags to the public.
Sandbag provision policy
Sandbags are a limited resource. The Council’s highways service must prioritise the use of sandbags to protect road users in cases where surface water flooding presents a risk on the highway network.
When the Met Office issues a named storm forecast with a high risk of intense rainfall during normal working hours, the Council will review available resources and may provide a small number of sandbags to the public from selected operational depots.
Sandbags may be made available outside normal working hours only when the forecast is received during standard hours. Due to limited out‑of‑hours resources, we cannot respond to forecast changes that occur later.
Sandbag availability cannot be guaranteed. Where sandbags are offered, they will be available for self-collection only and on a first come, first served basis. If supplies are exhausted or not available, residents will be advised to consider alternative flood protection measures.
Responsibility of property owners
Residents are strongly encouraged to obtain their own sandbags and flood protection materials in advance. Council supplies are limited and cannot satisfy all requests. There is no commitment to provide sandbags outside the specific circumstances outlined above.
Further information
Please contact our customer service team. We appreciate your understanding as we work to manage resources responsibly during periods of severe weather.
The Gov.uk website provides advice on how to report a flood depending on what caused the flooding.
Report flooding to the Environment Agency - incident hotline 0800 807060.
Get the latest information about flooding in your area from the Flood Information Service or contact Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for advice during a flood.
What you should do
Flood water can rise quickly, always focus on the safety of you and your family before your property and be prepared to act quickly. In the event of an emergency or severe flooding, follow these steps to stay safe:
Follow advice from emergency services – especially if you are asked to evacuate your home.
Take key contact numbers with you - If you have to evacuate your home, it's useful to have a mobile phone, charger and key contact numbers with you to contact your insurance company, traders, check the weather and stay in touch with family & friends.
Move family, pets and important items upstairs - or to a high place with a means of escape.
Keep important items and documents upstairs or somewhere high and safe.
Keep children and vulnerable people away from flood water.
Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies - if flood water is about to enter your home. DO NOT touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water.
Check on elderly neighbours - and relatives to make sure they are safe.
Don’t walk through flood water - If you have to enter flood water move slowly and carefully and wear strong footwear.
If you have to drive – Take extra care in built up areas, drive slowly so you don’t create a bow wave in front of the vehicle – this can cause flood damage to properties.
Don't ignore road closure signs - they are there for a reason and for your safety.
Never drive through flowing water that is more than 10cm deep - If you are unsure of the depth – the edge of the kerb is a good indicator. Don't assume a ford is always safe to cross - be aware of the risks.
Evacuation - In some cases seeking refuge from flood water upstairs would be unsafe and you may need to evacuate the area. If you do need to evacuate the area you will be informed by officials knocking on your door or by local radio or television stations.
Our role during a flood
We always monitor the weather and have flooding and severe weather emergency plans in place so we are prepared to act quickly when severe weather warnings are issued.
As part of our role as a Lead Local Flood Authority, we have produced a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which explains how we manage local flood risk in Lancashire.
When it floods, the emergency services lead the response. We work with the police, fire and rescue service, the NHS, district councils, the environment agency and other partners to:
Evacuate people from flooded areas.
Identify vulnerable people and make sure they are safe.
Close flooded roads and bridges and put diversions in place.
Clear blocked drains on the roads.
Support communities to respond quickly.
Provide regular communications and updates on the situation.
If you live near a reservoir
During a flood the emergency services may tell you to go to a temporary evacuation point where you will be picked up to be taken on to a designated evacuation centre.
The emergency services will tell you the best route to the evacuation centre or temporary evacuation point depending on the circumstances of the emergency, so please follow their directions.
There are a number of designated evacuation centres in Lancashire. People running evacuation centres are trained to give you support and advice. They will help you through the stress of an emergency and prepare you for what to do afterwards.
If you are unfortunate enough to be affected by a flood, there are a number of things to be aware of when clearing up.
What you should do
Ring your insurance company - to register your claim.
Take photos or video evidence - make a list of everything that has been damaged.
Wear protective clothing - Take care - flood water could be contaminated so always wear protective clothing, boots and rubber gloves when cleaning up and watch out for hidden or sharp objects.
Find out how to dispose of flood damaged items safely – contact your District Council or the Waste Helpline on 0300 123 6781 for advice regarding the disposal of flood damaged household waste after you have spoken to your insurance company.
Get a qualified electrician to check your house - before you turn your electricity back on. Find a trader you can trust using our Safe Trader scheme.
Only pump out water when flood levels outside your property are lower than inside - to reduce the risk of structural damage.
Download the Flood Recovery Guide for more detailed advice and guidance to help victims of flooding through the initial stages of recovery.
Our role after a flood
After a flood we will work with our partners and voluntary agencies to help with the clean-up and recovery process by:
Supporting communities and businesses by providing emotional and practical support and advice about grants or funding to help with the recovery process.
Inspecting damage to roads and bridges and re-opening closed roads when it is safe to do so. If repairs are needed we will schedule the work as soon as possible.
Repairing potholes after the floods - you may notice more potholes following severe weather but please bear with us.
Beware of rogue traders
If your property has been damaged, don’t be tempted to let someone who appears at your door unannounced carry out the work. Always use reputable building contractors and do not pay in advance. Find a trader you can trust using our Safe Trader scheme.