Flooding information
Preparing for a flood
You can prepare for possible flooding in a number of ways:
- check to see if your home or business is in a flood-risk area
- find out how to protect your home or business from flooding
- sign up to get flood warnings sent directly to you by phone, text message or email
- Suffolk County Council have also provided information regarding preparing for flooding
You can also get further information and advice from the Suffolk resilience forum on preparing for an emergency and from the GOV.UK site preparing for flooding
The Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnership has created a flood guide which contains all the information and advice on what to do before, during, and after flooding which can be found on the Suffolk County Council website
The Environment Agency's flood information service is updated regularly; their current flood warning is refreshed every 10 minutes.
You can also contact the Environment Agency through:
Environment Agency Floodline
Telephone: 0345 9881188
What to do during a flood
Suffolk County Council have published information on how to report floods and steps to take during flooding.
There is also information from GOV.UK on help during floods
Sandbags
Local authorities in Suffolk won’t provide sandbags to try to protect individual properties, but instead use these limited resources in bulk to raise and repair defences or divert water away from groups of properties.
Water can get into properties through many routes, not just doorways. They can also be challenging to dispose of after they are used since it is likely that they will be heavy and contaminated.
You can check your property’s flood risk by contacting floods@suffolk.gov.uk and detailing your query.
If it’s appropriate to use purpose-made flood protection products, information is published on the National Flooding Forum’s Blue Pages.
Housing needs
If you have housing needs as a result of flooding, please contact our homelessness reporting line on 0808 168 7794
Social care enquiries
If you have an enquiry that relates to adult social care, you will need to contact Suffolk County Council
What to do after a flood
GOV.UK provides information on what to do after a flood
Suffolk County Council have also produced flood recovery guidance.
If your home was recently flooded, we may be able to support with collecting items that have been damaged or broken. If you need this support, please fill in the below form.
If you are not able to access online services contact 0300 1234 000 (option 7) or visit us at a customer access point and we can complete on your behalf.
Government Support
The UK Government has announced financial support for those in flood hit areas.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-support-for-flood-hit-areas
The support will be available through councils who will announce further details on eligibility and how to apply in due course.
What we need from you
With an event on the scale of Storm Babet the immediate challenge is to record where the flooding has occurred and the extent of the impact, so we are asking for your support by reporting significant flooding to your home or business using the Suffolk County Council Highways Reporting Tool.
Flooding insurance advice
Contact your insurer if you've been affected by flooding.
Read advice for those recovering from floods from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Flood Re is a joint Government and insurance industry initiative which aims to help insurers help householders at risk of flooding.
Choosing trustworthy traders
Read the following advice before choosing a trader to carry out repairs after flooding:
- Finding a trustworthy trader (Citizens Advice)
Flood safety and public health
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides a range of information related to flooding, this includes:
- planning, managing and recovering from a flood
- how to clean up your home safely
- questions and answers about health
- mental health advice following floods
When cleaning after floods:
- wear rubber boots, waterproof gloves and an apron
- wear a standard face mask and goggles (such as those sold by DIY stores) to protect yourself from water splashes caused by scrubbing, hosing or pressure-washing
- wash your hands thoroughly after each clean-up session
- keep open cuts or sores clean, and use waterproof plasters to prevent them being exposed to floodwater
Support for businesses
Read advice for businesses impacted by flooding from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
The Food Standards Agency have also produced guidance on what to do after a flood.
You can also contact our economic development team if you have enquiries regarding support for businesses following a flood. Please use the drop down menu and select economic development.
If your premises are affected by local disruption
You may get a temporary reduction in your business rates if your premises are affected by severe local disruption (like flooding, or nearby building work or roadworks).
Tell the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you think a local disruption has affected the value of your property. Use your business rates valuation account to tell them.
The VOA will decide if you can get a temporary reduction in your business rates.