UK households advised to prepare for winter floods

Households in the UK are being told to prepare for a potentially destructive winter of storms and heavy rain, with millions of homes at risk of flooding. The Guardian spoke to experts about actions communities and individuals can take to improve resilience, from self-closing airbricks to deflated footballs.

Tracey Garrett, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, said flooding can be incredibly frightening and disruptive. She insists communities, households and councils can make a difference to an area's resilience.

We are seeing increasingly intense rainfall and a growing risk from surface water flooding, and climate change means we cannot assume that the flooding patterns of the past will necessarily be the patterns of the future, Garrett said. "This makes preparation more important than ever."

Community action

The first step is to check whether your home is listed at risk on the government's website. If it is, sign up for the Environment Agency's flood alerts and any local council scheme.

Join or set up a local community flood group and approach the council about its flood plans. Lobbying for more permeable surfaces, rain gardens and tree planting can help. Identify vulnerable residents and draw up a neighbourhood flood plan so everyone knows what to do.

Gardens and outdoor spaces

Protecting your home starts outside, according to Mary Long-Dhonau, who runs the Flood Mary campaign. She advises checking brickwork and mortar for cracks, which should be repaired. External walls can be treated with a breathable waterproof sealant.

"Having cracks or crumbling mortar can be like having 20 taps in your wall that will let the flood water straight in," Long-Dhonau said.

Clear gutters and consider installing water butts. Long-Dhonau says they are easy and relatively cheap. Emptying them before predicted rain gives them full capacity to hold water, keeping it out of drains.

The design of gardens and driveways impacts how quickly rainwater runs into drainage systems. Surfaces like concrete and paving prevent water soaking into the ground. Planted areas, rain gardens or permeable paving allow water to drain away.

Even if you have a paved area, just taking up one or two paving stones and planting some water-thirsty plants can make a big difference, said Long-Dhonau. Improving soil health and plant cover also helps gardens absorb and hold more water.

Inside the home

Experts advise having a flood to-do list, detailing how to turn off gas and electricity and which belongings to move. A flood box should contain essentials like a head torch, flood tape, plastic sheeting and absorbent flood cushions.

No one can say exactly what this winter will bring, but you don't need to wait for a flood warning before taking action, Long-Dhonau said.

Emergency measures

A standard airbrick can let thousands of litres of water into a home every hour. Long-Dhonau says ideally they should be replaced with Kitemarked self-closing airbricks, which seal automatically. Temporary covers are an alternative but must be installed manually.

Flood doors are effective but expensive. Floor barriers outside doors are another option. In an emergency, flood tape or aluminium tape can seal airbricks, doors and windows.

People always think of sandbags, Long-Dhonau said, but having some good-quality flood tape on hand is not only a more effective way to better protect your home but also much, much cheaper.

Waste water and sewage can be forced back up through toilets. Flood-risk properties should have a non-return valve fitted to the drainage system. Toilet bungs and stoppers also work but need manual fitting.

In an emergency, Long-Dhonau suggests deflating a child's football, pushing it down the toilet and pumping it up again. The toilet seat can then be taped down.

Protecting belongings

Long-Dhonau suggests raising furniture off the floor using upturned buckets or decorators' trestles. Curtains can be tied up with scarves or tights. Table legs can be put in buckets or wellies. Precious objects should go in plastic clip boxes and be moved to safety.

You want to go into your room and look around at everything below waist height and think, what is really precious to me? she said.

In properties that flood regularly, experts recommend moving plug sockets higher up walls and installing flood-resilient flooring and materials. This can make cleaning easier and save thousands of pounds.

Kelly Ostler-Coyle, from the government-backed Flood Re reinsurance scheme, said practical steps can make a real difference in protecting what people care about and helping them recover.