Lancashire communities to receive new flood warning service

The new flood warnings came into effect from May 19. Flood Warnings tell people about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and helps people make informed decisions about how to respond. There are three types of warning – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning.

Householders are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes 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.

Andy Brown, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for Lancashire said: “We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority. We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding which is why we’re pleased that people in even more communities across Lancashire will now be able to receive our free flood warning service.”

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 Lancashire and over 200 other communities across England.

This latest expansion comes just three months after extensions were delivered in February 2021 to existing flood warning areas in Darwen & Blackburn, covering a further 865 properties. In total an additional 62,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive Flood Warnings between now and the end of 2022.

Home and business owners will be auto enrolled to the Flood Warning service via their mobile network. However, to get the most benefit out of the service the Environment Agency is encouraging people to register directly with them by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visiting https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings where they can register preferred contact details.