Flood Protection for your Property
It is estimated that over 5 million properties
in England and Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea
or surface water. This means that 1 property out of every 6
is potentially at risk. Of these 5 million properties, around
2 million are homes. About 200,000 of these homes are at very
high risk of flooding and it is expected that this number of homes
will rise.
Many of those living near water are naturally
concerned about flooding and it is you that is responsible for the
protection of your own property. Havant Borough Council's
responsibilities are extremely limited; the responsibility for
flood protection and alleviation lies with the Environment Agency
and the affected landowners (one of which may be Havant Borough
Council).
Whether you live inland or live near the
coast, there is always a possibility that storms can cause
flooding. During and after a storm, the drainage system -
whether open watercourses or pipes - can be overwhelmed by the
amount of water it is expected to carry. Also, near the
coast, a combination of high tides and bad weather will threaten
your property with flooding, even though engineers of the Havant, Portsmouth & Gosport Coastal
Partnership, the Environment Agency and those of other
organisations will have done as much as possible to reduce the risk
of this happening. In addition, when the ground is saturated
even small extra amounts of rainfall will have difficulty draining
away from gardens and enclosed spaces.
At Langstone, for example, flooding has
been recognised as an unavoidable fact since the houses were built
hundreds of years ago and the older cottages nearest the sea have
specially adapted doors so that their owners can prevent water
flowing into the house when the High Street is flooded.
The Borough Council has a very small number of staff
to deploy at times of emergency and we will concentrate our efforts
on protecting the public at large. We will not be able to assist a
large number of individual homeowners who may find their properties
threatened. Full details of who is responsible for what is
contained in our Flood Plan.
If your property is flooded, the damage can be
very costly, not just in terms of time and money, but the
experience can be very stressful and emotional too.
Therefore, we at the council recommend that if your property or
home is at risk to flooding, you consider additional ways of
protecting your property through flood resistance and flood
resilience measures.
This page describes some actions that property owners can
take to protect their houses. A little preparation could save
a great deal of trouble and distress.
1. Assess the Threat
This is the first task. Check whether your property is
in a Flood Zone (use the postcode search on the
Environment Agency's Flood Map page). Has flooding occurred in
the past (check with neighbours if you haven't been in the property
long)? The threat of flooding can be greater if you live nearer to
the storm beaches of Hayling Island, but if you live anywhere that
is near the edge of the harbours you need to find out what is the
ground floor level of your house in relation to Ordnance Datum. If
the floor level of your house is higher than 3.73m on Hayling,
3.83m at Langstone, or 4.03m at Emsworth, then the risk of flooding
is reduced (although flood waters could still result in the
property being 'cut off'). If the floor level of your house is
below this level, it would be wise to consider how to prevent water
entering the house and make arrangements well in
advance.
Refer to
local tide tables to plan ahead for when the risk is higher,
due to Spring Tides - take the time for either Portsmouth Harbour,
Northney or Chichester Harbour (entrance) depending on where
on the coast you are. The risk is also increased the closer you are
to a river, stream, ditch or other watercourse.
2. Protect your Property
Whether you own or rent your property, there
a many different flood resilience and flood resistant measures you
can take to protect your property. These measures can range
from simple and temporary measures (such as placing items of high
value up high on shelves and as fixing entertainment units to
walls) to more permanent measures involving structural works (such
as raising floor levels and installing pump and sump systems below
the floor boards).
Even though it is impossible to make your
property completely flood-proof, there are many additional steps
you can take to help. For further information on flood
resistance and flood resilience measures you can take to protect
your properties, follow these links:
Environment Agency advice - 'Ways to Keep Water Out'
>>
Flood Resistance – Home
Protection – ‘Keeping the Water at Bay’ (PDF 897KB)
Flood Resilience Homes –
‘Limiting Water Damage’ (PDF 815KB)
Also, below are a few examples of simple
measures that can be taken to help protect your property against
flooding.
Obtain Flood Boards
If you think there is some risk to your property it is
probably best to obtain some flood boards. These do not need to be
elaborate - a piece of 18
mm
marine
plywood cut to fit across the door jambs can be temporarily nailed
in place if required. Sealed with clay, plasticine, rubber, carpet
or underlay, or wadded with wet newspaper, it will hold back water.
You will of course need to check that the pointing on the lower
part of the house is sound and if there are any air bricks below
possible flood level these should be temporarily plugged up as
well.
Sandbags and other Flood Protection
Products
The council does not have a duty to provide sandbags and if
you are concerned about flooding you should make your own
arrangements as quickly as possible.
There is nothing special about sandbags. They are cheaper than
pillow cases and cushion covers but are simply bags that hold sand
or soil so that a low wall can be built to dam the flow of water.
If your house is under threat and you have no sandbags you will
need to improvise. It is very unlikely that the council or anyone
else will be able to provide sandbags quickly enough in a real
emergency. Bin liners or plastic carrier bags filled with soil dug
from your garden will serve. Soil wrapped up in a bath towel made
into a roll across the bottom of a door will help. Grow bags are
the right shape and light enough to be carried around easily.
There are now a number of approved systems which manufacturers
have designed to alleviate the effects of flooding. These systems
have been approved by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and
are kitemarked to show their status in a process which has involved
the Environment Agency and
HR Wallingford, the country's
leading water research facility.
Flood protection products such as these, alone will not make a
home flood proof - this is impossible. However their use may slow
the flow of flood water into a property giving residents more time
to move themselves and their belongings to safety. The Environment
Agency has a booklet - Using Flood Protection Products, a Guide
for Homeowners - which gives practical advice on making
your home more flood resistant. You can phone for a copy on the
Floodline number, 0845 988 1188, along with other
useful information.
Pressure Seal
Mariners have a trick that may serve. They sealed leaks in
boats by roping a canvas over the hole and letting water pressure
seal it. The modern equivalent is polythene. Staple a sheet of
heavy duty polythene over the doorway on the
outside, or fix it with drawing pins or tacks to
the jambs and door sill. You will need to keep the door closed to
take the weight of water but it will help seal the gaps under and
around the door.
Our Engineering staff are able to advise the approximate
levels of specific properties, discuss individual problems and give
advice on measures to reduce the effects of flooding on your
property, and they may be contacted via Customer Services by email
to
customer.services@havant.gov.uk
on
023 9244 6013.