A new flood warning is to be offered to more than 500 properties in Cumbria.
The Environment Agency has announced that it will be offering a new flood warning service to Cumbrian communities including the Cairn Beck, Trout Beck at Warwick Bridge (east of Carlisle) and Brampton Beck at Brampton as well as the River Rothay at Grasmere in the South Lakes.
The new flood warnings will come into effect from August 18, covering 515 properties.
Flood Warnings tell people about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and helps people make informed decisions about how to respond. There are three types of warning – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning.
Householders are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn’t want to lose if flooding were to take place.
A Flood Warning calls on 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 to follow advice from emergency services.
Stewart Mounsey, area flood and coastal risk manager for Cumbria said: “We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority. However, the climate emergency means we cannot prevent all flooding – so we’re working to make communities more resilient.
“We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare which is why we’re pleased that people in even more communities across Cumbria will now be able to receive our free flood warning service.”
Additional funding from the Government has enabled the Environment Agency to invest in state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure needed to provide a flood warning service in Cumbria and over 200 other communities across England.
This latest expansion comes just three months after a new service was delivered in May to Church Beck and Yewdale Beck at Coniston.
In total, an additional 62,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive Flood Warnings between now and the end of 2022.
Home and business owners will be auto-enrolled to the Flood Warning service via their mobile network. However, to get the most benefit out of the service the Environment Agency is encouraging people to register directly with them by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visiting https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings where they can register preferred contact details.
