Deployment of full West Midlands flood warning service

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The Environment Agency has launched new flood warning services in the West Midlands that will help warn almost 13,000 additional homeowners of the risk of flooding.

Flood warnings inform the public of an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and help people make decisions about how to respond.

Three new flood warning services went live today in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, covering 280 properties. This brings the total number of properties that have benefited from the new service in the last two years to 12,788 in 30 new areas.

The move is part of the Nationwide Flood Warning Expansion project, which is increasing England’s flood warning service to at-risk properties that were previously difficult to reach.

Ian Jones, Area Coastal Risk and Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency for the West Midlands, said:

We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for the floods, so we are pleased that more communities in the West Midlands are receiving the new service.

We are notifying all addresses that benefit from the service and encouraging people to sign up for alerts. We know how devastating flooding can be, so we remain committed to helping reduce the impact of flooding for anyone who may be affected.

There are three types of messages: Flood Watch, Flood Warning, and Severe Flood Warning. Each type can be triggered by particular weather or river conditions that cause flooding.

Residents are encouraged to prepare if they receive a flood watch, which could mean packing a bag with medication, insurance papers and anything else they don’t want to lose if a flood hits. A flood warning calls for 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 should follow the advice of the emergency services.

Additional government funding has enabled the Environment Agency to invest in the latest technology and infrastructure required to provide a flood warning service in over 200 communities across England. In total, an additional 110,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive flood warnings between now and spring 2023.

To check if your home is located in this new flood warning area, visit https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/. If your home is within the flood warning area, it is vital that you sign up for flood warnings to better protect yourself and your loved ones.

To sign up for the flood alert service, the Environment Agency encourages people to register directly by calling the Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or by visiting https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings where you can register yourself or your vulnerable family/friends.

Read more about the flood warning expansion project here:

https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/15/major-strategy-milestone-achieved-as-flood-warning-service-expands-to-110000-more-homes-and-businesses/

New flood warnings have been introduced at the following locations as part of the project:

Etwall stream, Etwall; Slad Brook, Stroud; – Wymans Brook from Wymans to Pittville, Cheltenham; Hatherley Brook from Leckhampton to Down Hatherley; Whaddon Brook in Lower Tuffley; Daniels Brook in Lower Tuffley; Nailsworth Creek in Nailsworth, Woodchester and Dudbridge; Horesbere Brook in Gloucester; Twyver River in Gloucester; South Brook in Gloucester; Wotton Brook in Gloucester; Ford Brook in Rushall; Bourn Brook at Selly Oak; Perry Brook in Perry Barr; Illey Brook in Halesowen; Lutley Spout in Halesowen; river Stour in Halesowen; The Bourn in Bournville; Spadesbourne Brook in Bromsgrove; Plants Brook in Sutton Coldfield; Tanyard Creek in Kenilworth; Wash Brook and Wyrley Brook in Churchbridge; Waterhead Brook at Bushbury, Wolverhampton; Gog Brook in Warwick; Saltisford Brook in Warwick; St Johns Brook in Warwick; Ashfield Brook in Newcastle-Under-Lyme; and Dulas Brook in Ewyas Harold.

The last areas were activated on May 24, 2023, tributaries of the Onny River at the Craven Arms; Hen Brook at Stoke Prior; and Brimfield Brook in Orleton and Brimfield.

Additional Information:

• Some 5.2 million properties in England are at risk of flooding
• The average cost of flood damage to a house is £30,000
• The average cost of flooding to a business is £82,000.
• If it floods, temporary accommodation costs an average of £10,000.
• If it floods, you will likely be out of your home for an average of 5 months.
• Learn what to do when you receive a flood warning and download our 3-point flood plan: https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/what-to-do-in-a-flood

All Environmental Agency press releases, both area and national, can be found under Announcements on www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

Follow us on Twitter: @envagencymids