Flooding

There are some steps you can take to prepare yourself and your property for flooding, including:

• Check your household insurance covers flood damage.
• Sign up to GOV.UK's flood warnings and the Met Office weather warnings.
• Register for Priority Services with utility providers if you are eligible.
• Install or obtain measures such as flood barriers, toilet pan covers or air brick covers to your property to divert water away and prevent it entering. See below for more information about protecting your property.
• Save useful contacts in your phone, such as your insurance provider (with your Policy Number), Housing Association, Thames Water, the Council and Floodline.
• Make sure you know how to turn off your gas, water and electrical supplies in an emergency.
• Put an emergency grab bag together.

For more information see advice from the London Fire Brigade and National Flood Forum.

Sewer flooding can affect many properties in the Borough. Thames Water has certain responsibilities for managing the risk of sewer flooding. More information about sewer flooding is available on the Thames Water website.

Protecting your property

Flood water could enter your property through:

• Your connection to the sewer such as toilets, sinks, showers or internal drains.
• Openings in your external walls such as doors, windows, air bricks or unfilled holes.
• Through walls at or below the ground surface or up through floors.

Many buildings in the Borough include lower ground floors or basements that are either subdivided into self-contained properties or are integral to the overall property. This can increase the vulnerability of residents to the impacts of flooding.

There are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of flooding on your property, either by preventing water from entering the property or by ensuring that you can recover quicker following flooding.

The measures can be grouped into three categories:

1. Physical Interventions

   • Install flood door
   • Install flood barrier/gate
   • Fill holes to stop water coming through external walls
   • Install non-return valve or pump

2. Managing Rainfall

   • Reduce impermeable surfaces
   • Install water butt or rainwater planter
   • Install green roof

3. Maintenance and Repairs

   • Inspect and clear gutters and private drainage
   • Fix holes in roof

More information about protecting your property can be found at the Be Flood Ready website.

Some of these should be considered if you are planning any construction work, or if your property is affected by flooding. Planning permission and/or listed building consent may be required for some physical interventions such as flood doors. Please contact the Council’s planning service for any advice.