To ask you all for your flood preparation tips...there's one on the way

[ICameOnTheJitney]

To the village where my mum and sister both live. There are no sandbags to be found anywhere...what can they do to prepare apart from putting things upstairs and turning off electricity etc....feel helpless as can't get down there...no car, it's 6 miles away and I won't be able to pick up kids if I get bus.,,it takes too long to get back etc.

Sorry to hear that. I assume your mum and sister and their neighbours are used to it if its any consolation.

No they're not...it's never flooded before.

Just been on the Environment Agency website and it is very worrying - predicting some the biggest waves ever known in the NE.
The whole east coast from Kent to Aberdeen is affected.

Most flooding is pretty shallow, so just getting sofas up on a couple of bricks will help. If the can block the airbricks on the outside of the house that will really help stop water ingress.

Theres some advice here about what to do.

Obv also, find the house insurance details jic and if they do flood, don't take anything out till the loss adjusters have been

God. Nobody in Mum's area has had a flood before and nobody is at all prepared. The area is FULL of elderly people and a high percentage of lone parents. I can't get there...I feel so crap. I called the council to ask about sandbags and the man was so rude and short...he said "I know nothing...,they're having a meeting about it now"

A meeting??? Get the fucking bags on a lorry and get them there! Sorry for swearing I feel upset though.

CMOT thanks for the tip. My Mum won't be able to lift her sofa though. It's one of those areas with sort of no men in it! Loads of elderly ladies and just tonnes of single Mums....very small community.

They'll help each other I am hoping. My Mum went to work as she's a carer and wouldn';t want to leave her clients but she's done that and now there's nobody prepping her own house.

My sister is disabled and can't help anyone....she does have her daughter on the way from work though. Maybe she can help my Mum./

In general, just moving things upstairs, or putting heavy things on tables downstairs, is the way to go.

One tip I was given - apparently people tend to panic and save things of financial value that could easily be replaced by their insurance, rather than things of sentimental value that can't ever be replaced. So be prepared to take photo albums, wedding photos, memory boxes, etc, and to abandon TVs, iPads etc.

Also, apparently it's worth saving things which make a house feel 'homey' (cushions, rugs etc) because if not, you can end up with a house all redecorated by the insurance, but which no longer feels 'yours'.

Oh, could you take a taxi there and back to help them with the heavy things? I know it's expensive but it might save money and hassle long term.

no men doesn't matter, the able-bodied women who aren't elderly can lift things.

get things high or upstairs, especially those photos etc. It will be insured this time.

In that case, just worry about getting photos and irreplaceable stuff up. And making sure those in bungalows/ground floor flats are somewhere they can be upstairs.
Furniture will be replaced by insurance, and believe me, the guys will be mobilising everyone to be out there tomorrow

If the worst happens and the flood does happen (and if it's never happened before it probably won't now), your mum will find that everyone does help each other.

My parents were flooded out 6 years ago, and said everyone was fabulous in the immediate aftermath - communal meals, caring neighbourly conversations.... Later on tempers did get frayed, but generally with insurance companies dragging heels rather than with each other.

Where are they OP? On the east coast at sea level, I take it? What's forecast is a storm surge. Any flooding will be seawater. As long as she's insured, I think the sentimental value thing is correct - insurance can replace the rest. Her safety is most important. The flood's expected with the high tide, which is about 10 o clock tonight, so I would recommend her moving inland for the night if possible. I'm not saying this to frighten you, but it's best to be safe. Evacuation at night is no fun. If it's not as bad as it could be, that's a good thing and the coastsl defences are much better than in '53.

Hi, I work for the Environment Agency in Flood Risk Management, although building defences rather than incident response. One of the easiest things to do is to move cars to high ground. Pack a small bag with a change of clothes, wash bag, sleeping bag and medication in case you have to stay the night elsewhere. Also take buildings and contents insurance docs with you, even if they are safe and dry, it might be a while until your mum/sister get back in their houses. Have they got pets? Can the pets go in kennels or to stay elsewhere ? Important documents - driving licence, birth certs - move upstairs or take with you / to a friend not at risk. And the sentimental stuff that cs not be replaced - take your favorite teddy, wedding album, whatever it is that absolutely can not be replaced and put it upstairs/ in the attic/ at work / friends/ boot of car. Phone chargers and laptop may be handy too.

When it is all over, they may want to contact the National Flood Forum who are very helpful.

Good luck to your mum and sister.

The meeting the council are in is highly likely to be about his they are going to manage the flood. They are probably with the local resilience and emergency planning folk from the police, fire and rescue, ambulance, pct, Env Ag etc. Give them a chance.

Theres a thread in weather too about this. It is one to take seriously.

You can make your own temporary sand bags - weve had to do this for our airbricks in the past. Fill carrier bags with soil and tie up.

Or pillowcases

High tide time varies, dependent upon where you are.

If you click on severe flood warnings on the EA fb page it gives you clear timings on when the highest water is expected. Note that for some its not until tomorrow.

I wrote about Storm Preparation on my blog a while ago, it might be some help, I hope.

advice from norfolk police as linked to by another mner.

OP there are some evacuations being organised e.g. in the Great Yarmouth area, so your mum and sister might be part of this. Even if not, please do consider whether you can get a taxi and get them to yours for the night, which is when the worst of it is going to hit, I think (depending on location!).

Flooding in the dark is extremely dangerous, not only for those in their homes, but also those trying to rescue them. Even if the water depth is quite shallow, if it is flowing fast and contains debris, then it can easily knock people off their feet. Even more so if people are elderly, disabled or otherwise vulnerable.

Bike they've had a bloody chance! They are BEYOND shite. The sandbags are not in place...they've just lef tht entiure community to fend for themsleves and no sandbags to purchase anywhere. The water is coming over the banks now. I don't want to say where they are but it's not coastal.

I can't get a taxi. I have to collect my DC. It's 6 miles away so even had I left at 10 oo, by the time I had helped I would be late back. I cant risk not getting back if no access either as nobody else to get DC today.