Cumberland Council is urging residents to be well informed and well prepared when it comes to potential flooding.
It is sharing how it works with partners to prepare for and respond to severe weather, and how communities can ready themselves.
When there is flooding, the Environment Agency leads in issuing alerts and warnings for main rivers and the coast. The council, along with emergency responders and other agencies, works to improve the public’s understanding of flood risks, increase communities’ resilience, and explore practical steps to mitigate the impacts of flooding.
Cumberland’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health and Communities, Cllr Justin McDermott, said: “When flooding happens, it’s really important that communities are ready, and we are here to support that readiness.
“We can help ensure support is targeted where it’s needed most, by working with partners to assess the causes of flooding, and suggesting remedies to the agencies involved.
“We also support community groups and town and parish councils to access grants for measures like flood resistant doors and gates, and emergency flood sacks, which the council itself doesn’t supply.”
The council offered these tips to help people protect themselves and their properties when localised flooding happens:
- Sign up to get flood alerts and warnings from the Environment Agency. They will tell you when flooding is possible or expected in your area. Visit Get flood warnings by text, phone or email - GOV.UK
- Visit the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum website for lots of advice. Preparing for Emergencies | Cumbria Prepared
- If you know your property is at risk, consider installing flood barriers, elevating electrical systems, or buying flood sacks (modern ‘sandbags’). The council does not distribute sandbags.
- Prepare an emergency grab bag of essential supplies and documents.
- Report a flooded property on the council’s website: Report a flooded property | Cumberland Council or email [email protected]. This helps the council assess flood risk and look at possible ways to mitigate it in the future. It is not an emergency service – if you are in danger call 999. Find out more about what our flood team does here: About the Flood and Development Management Team | Cumberland Council
- Check the long term flood risk of your area here: Check the long term flood risk for an area in England - GOV.UK
The council’s flood management team plays a role in investigating and establishing the causes of property flooding. This can sometimes mean the team arranges work to protect the affected properties, in partnership with other risk management authorities.
Cllr McDermott said: “We work in partnership with other organisations, like the Environment Agency and United Utilities, so we can help residents work out what is causing localised flooding, so that the right agencies are involved.
“For streets that are prone to flooding, we find the root cause - whether a blocked drain, a sewer, surface run-off or something else. If the work to fix that is our responsibility, we plan and do the work - and if it requires another agency to get involved we contact that agency and help them plan a solution.
“Importantly, we can also advise residents about sustainable ways to protect themselves from flooding. We don’t distribute sandbags as, in many cases, they are not very effective, can worsen damage to property, and can be difficult to dispose of. Our focus is very much on supporting residents and business to be prepared for flooding in advance.”
People can contact Cumberland’s flood management team at [email protected].
Cumberland Council is a key partner in the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum (CLRF). The CLRF brings together all the relevant agencies to prepare for emergencies. This includes councils, the emergency services, the NHS and the Environment Agency. Find our more here: Homepage | Cumbria Prepared