Floods: check your risk, sign up for warnings, know what to do

Flooding is the most damaging emergency UK households face: not the water itself, but the months of drying, repairs and insurance that follow. It is also the most predictable. The Environment Agency and its equivalents forecast floods hours or days ahead and will text or ring you for free. The work is in signing up before the rain.

Step one: find out your risk

Enter your postcode at the gov.uk flood risk checker (England), SEPA (Scotland), Natural Resources Wales or the NI Direct flood maps. Look at all three types: rivers, sea, and surface water. Surface water flooding, from downpours overwhelming drains, hits homes far from any river and is the fastest-growing risk as storms intensify. If your risk is anything other than very low, do the rest of this page.

Step two: sign up for warnings

The flood warning service is free and sends a phone call, text or email when flooding is forecast for your area. Scotland's Floodline, Natural Resources Wales and NI Direct run the same thing. Add your mobile, your landline and a relative's number. This is the single most valuable thing on this page: it is the difference between moving the car at 6 p.m. and finding it floating at 2 a.m.

Step three: make a flood plan

The household plan covers the basics. For flooding, add:

• What to move, in what order. People and pets, then documents and irreplaceables, then electricals and soft furnishings. Write it down; you will not think clearly at the time.
• Where the shut-offs are for gas, electricity and water, and who knows how to use them.
• Where you will go if you have to leave, and how you will get there without driving through water.
• Who you will tell, and who will check on you.
• Insurance details in the grab bag, with the 24-hour claims line.

Step four: prepare the house

1. Move things up

   Permanently: documents, photo albums, hard drives and anything irreplaceable upstairs or on high shelves. Raise electrical sockets if you are renovating. Keep the grab bag upstairs.

2. Flood protection products

   Door barriers, airbrick covers and non-return valves on drains are the cheapest effective products for a typical home, and some councils and schemes offer grants after flooding. Sandbags are better than nothing but leak and are heavy; a purpose-made barrier is far better if you are at real risk.

3. Check the insurance

   Confirm flood is covered and what the excess is. In high-risk areas, Flood Re helps insurers offer affordable cover. If you rent, your own contents policy is what covers your belongings.

4. Know the drains and gutters

   Clear them in autumn. Blocked gutters and gullies cause surface water to find its way in. If your garden drains slowly, consider where the water will go.

When the water is rising

Move early, while roads are clear. Turn off electricity at the mains before water reaches the sockets, and gas if you have been advised to. Go upstairs; if you must go higher, a loft without a window is a trap, so go to a room you can be seen from. Keep your phone charged and the radio on. If you are told to evacuate, go, with the grab bag, the pets and the documents, and do not stop to move the sofa.

After the flood

Recovery is slow and this is where the documents folder pays off. Ring your insurer before cleaning; they will tell you what to photograph and whether to keep damaged items. Floodwater is contaminated with sewage and chemicals, so gloves, boots and washing hands before eating are not optional. Do not use mains electricity until an electrician has checked it. Your council coordinates skips, rest centres and support, and can point you to grants and the local flood action group. Drying a flooded house takes months; pushing it with heaters causes more damage, so follow the professional drying advice.