Here comes the flood

Here comes the flood

On Wednesday, the message will be underlined for the five million people in the flood plains of England and Wales when the Agency launches its annual flood awareness campaign. 'Hard-hitting advertising' will run in national and regional press to get the idea of self-help over to a 'public that might not be taking the threat of flooding in the UK seriously enough'.

Practical advice will be given, encouraging people to check the Environment Agency's flood map for the likelihood of flooding in their area and, if they are at risk on a particular day, to turn off gas, electricity and water at the mains, put weighted-down plugs into sinks and move furniture and electrical items upstairs.

Many local authorities have become far more adept at dealing with floods in the five years since 700 locations in England and Wales were flooded in 2000, causing £1 billion of damage. Incidents such as the Boscastle and Carlisle floods and the hurricane in New Orleans have taught the experts practical lessons about how rushing water affects buildings, roads and drains. In Boscastle, it was the location and direction of the parked cars that caused much of the damage: many.....continued below

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Although the government has increased the sums it is paying into river defences, there is still the huge problem of antiquated drains that cannot cope with heavy downpours. Flood expert Jill Boulton of Norwich Union - a lead player in its flood mapping and diagnosis - estimates that 'probably 40 per cent of flooding in this country comes from drains'.

This was a major problem in Carlisle and the Environment Agency plans to produce a drains map, but this might not be complete for two years or more.

Farmer John Parry of North Buckinghamshire believes his worsening flooding problem is influenced by the drainage systems as nearby Newport Pagnell and Milton Keynes expand. 'We're getting a different type of rain,' he says. 'A lot lands in a short period of time. There is more Tarmac, more concrete and more drains which go straight to the river.'

If he is right, we could face more flooding as the country's house-building programme accelerates. Concreting means we lose natural drainage through the soil.

Parry and his family, living close to two rivers, are regularly flooded, but 'only' to a metre or less. Their cooker and other kitchen equipment now live on pallets so they can be hiked up when the Parrys get the Environment Agency flood warning on their phones. In 70 minutes, he and his teenage daughter can move the main items (including the piano on the pallet) out of the likely flood path.