What can I do to protect my family and belongings in a flood?

You can sign up here for flood warnings or by calling the national Floodline on 0345 988 1188. Flood warnings can be sent to you by phone, text and email.

There are 3 categories of warning:

• Flood alert
• Flood warning
• Severe flood warning

Flash flooding can be caused by severe weather so it is also a good idea to sign up for weather warnings.

Effective preparation can minimise the risks to your family and belongings. A Flood Plan can help you act quickly and make practical decisions in the event of a flood.

A personal Flood Plan template is available from the Government website but these are some of the key things to consider

• Keep a list of useful telephone numbers handy, for example for your relatives and friends and insurance company etc.
• Avoid keeping key contact numbers solely in your mobile phone as it may get lost or wet.
• Make an emergency kit (see the next section on this page).
• Put important documents out of flood risk and protect with polythene or dry bags.
• Think about what belongings you can move now upstairs or to a place of safety.
• Identify what you would need to take with you if you had to leave your home.
• Think about where you could move your car to, if you were able to safely, before flooding.
• Talk about possible flooding with your family, or anyone who lives with you.
• You and your family should agree how you will contact each other and where you will go in case you become separated during flooding.
• Think about what would happen to your pets during flooding.

All of our circumstances are different but these are some of the things you may wish to consider including in your emergency flood kit:

• Insurance documents, other important documents
• Insurance emergency helpline, local council and emergency services numbers, family & friends telephone numbers, local radio frequencies
• Torch
• Batteries (not rechargeable)
• Portable radio (windup preferable)
• Mobile phone
• First aid kit with essential prescription medication / repeat prescription form
• Bottled water (check use-by date)
• Non-perishable food items (including energy or cereal bars)
• Blankets, warm clothes
• Wash kit and essential toiletries (including toilet paper and wet wipes)
• Children’s essentials (milk, baby food, sterilised bottles & spoons, nappies, wipes, nappy bags, clothing, comforter, teddy or favourite toy)
• Camera (disposable) to record damage for insurance purposes
• Emergency cash
• Wellington boots, waterproof clothing, rubber gloves

Stonewater does not insure the contents of your home and this is something that we advise all our customers to do.

Home contents insurance covers loss or damage to all things in your home which are not part of the structure or building. It is available widely from a number of sources including your bank.

It is important that you take out a policy that provides sufficient cover to replace items in the event of theft, fire or flood. Not all policies are the same and some may have restrictions or clauses relating to flooding so it is important that you check your cover.

Some policies provide accidental damage cover as well as personal possession cover and some will have an excess which means you will need to pay a minimum amount each time you claim.

Information about home contents insurance can be found here.

The National Housing Federation offer a bespoke product for social housing customers and information can be found here.

The National Flood Forum also has more information on obtaining flood insurance on their website.

Drains and guttering play a key role in channelling excess water away from your home.

Ensure that any outside drains are not blocked with furniture or planting and in the autumn ensure that they are kept clear of leaves and debris.

If you rent your property form us and any parts of your guttering have deteriorated or are broken please ensure that you report these for repair through your MyHome account.

If you have a water butt connected to your guttering please ensure that this is not blocked.