More than 350 Nottinghamshire properties will be covered by a new warning system that will alert them if they need to evacuate because of flooding. The Environment Agency has announced that 352 properties in Beeston and Wollaton will be able to use the new alert scheme, with the houses selected said to be at risk of flooding from the nearby Tottle Brook.
Three types of alerts or warnings can be issued depending on the severity of the weather, with households able to receive them through a variety of methods including directly by text, phone or email. Each type of warning is triggered by particular weather, river or sea conditions.
If a flood alert is sent, people are encouraged to prepare by doing things like packing a bag including medicines, insurance documents and anything else that they wouldn't want to lose in a flood. A flood warning calls on people to act immediately by turning off gas, water, electricity and moving family and pets to safety.
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A severe flood warning means that people are in immediate danger and are urged to follow advice from the emergency services. It comes after recent heavy rainfall caused disruption across Nottinghamshire, particularly in Worksop where flat residents were seen throwing many of their possessions into a skip after they were damaged by flooding.
Paul Lockhart, the flood and coastal risk manager for the East Midlands, said: "Wherever you live, on a hill, in a flat or in an area that's never flooded before, flooding can still affect you, putting your home, your possessions and your family at risk. We want to ensure everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding, which is why we're pleased that people in the Beeston and Wollaton area will now be able to receive our free flood warning service."
The Environment Agency's free flood warning service is provided throughout England and Wales, but additional government funding means that an extra 62,000 properties will be covered by it between now and the end of the year.
People whose houses lie near Tottle Brook and are within the new alert boundary are being urged to sign up to it so that they can benefit from the alerts. People can register by calling the flood line on 0345 988 1188.
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