Flood Action Week 2025 – get better prepared for flooding this Autumn
- Kent Resilience Forum
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
Kent and Medway Resilience Forum partners are supporting Flood Action Week which takes place from 13-19 October.
The national campaign led by the Environment Agency encourages the people to check their flood risk, sign-up to flood warnings and understand the immediate actions they can take to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and reduce the devastating impacts flooding can cause to homes, families and livelihoods.
It also invites everyone to consider more planned actions, like installing property flood resilience measures that can make homes and businesses more flood resilient in the longer term.
The UK is experiencing more frequent and intense extreme weather due to the impacts of climate change, and this year, the Met Office has warned of a wetter than average autumn. Communities are warned not to be complacent about the risk of flooding following this summer’s dry weather.
Rainfall was up to a third higher than usual in 2024 and, last winter, the Environment Agency issued more than 3,000 flood alerts, 1,600 flood warnings, and three severe flood warnings to people at risk.
In England around 6.3 million homes and businesses are in areas at risk of flooding, but many people are unaware and unprepared. The cost of flooding to a home can be tens of thousands of pounds. Devastatingly, flooding also brings a significant risk to life, damage to homes, businesses and communities, and can impact people’s mental health.
Preparing before a flood, and knowing what to do when it happens, can reduce these significant impacts.
Emma Crofts from the Environment Agency’s Southeast Flood Resilience Team said: “With its long coastline and significant river network, there are around 75,000 properties in Kent and Medway that are at risk of river and coastal flooding. In addition, groundwater flooding also poses a risk to many others."
She added: "We are urging people to check take action to prepare for flooding this Autumn. Knowing just one action to take during a flood can reduce the effects on your home and family and even save a life. This week, make it your aim to know what to do in a flood.”
Check your property's risk: www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk
Sign up for flood warnings: www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings
Make a flood plan
In the event of a flood:
Move items upstairs or to safety.
Turn off electricity, gas, and water.
Follow advice from the emergency services.
For further advice visit the national Preparing for flooding page or visit our flood pages here.
More ways to get involved on social media:
Follow the Environment Agency’s social accounts and like/share their Flood Action Week content throughout the week. You can find our accounts here:
Follow your local Environment Agency regional X account, which will be posting local messages:
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