Flooding in Lancashire

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.

Watch our short animation for advice and tips on what to do before, during and after a flood.

Surface water flooding

When it rains heavily and for a long period of time, the drains become overwhelmed by the amount of water – they overflow and the water on the surface has nowhere to go. It's normal for large puddles to appear when it rains heavily, but sometimes the puddles become more of a flood, stretching across whole streets, pavements and sometimes further beyond that – this is known as surface water flooding.

Flash floods can occur anywhere and without warning during and after heavy rainfall, making them much more difficult to predict. It's inconvenient and likely to cause disruption on the roads, but when it's more serious it can also cause damage to homes and businesses.

Find out whether your area may be affected by surface water flooding and to what extent.

Reservoir flooding

The risk of a reservoir in Lancashire failing has not increased.  There are thousands of reservoirs in England and Wales and they are built and maintained to very high standards. They are inspected regularly to ensure they meet strict standards set by the Environment Agency.

In the unlikely event that a reservoir dam failed, a large volume of water would escape at once and flooding could happen with little or no warning. It would be very different from most other forms of flooding and there could be little warning of reservoir failure.

Emergency plans and procedures are in place for reservoirs in Lancashire.