Homeowners must prepare for floods

Posted: 18 Jan 2008 10:52:53 GMT

Homeowners in many parts of the UK have been warned to prepare their properties for possible flooding.

Homeowners in many parts of the UK have been warned to prepare their properties for possible flooding.

The Met Office said that heavy rain is expected in Wales, south west England and the Lake District on Friday, Saturday and possibly even Sunday.

Around 100 millimetres is expected to fall in that time and, after recent heavy rainfall, many of the nearby rivers are already full to bursting point.

"The weather over the next three days is certainly causing concern and we have a close working relationship with the Environment Agency in these situations," said Keith Groves, Met Office operations director.

"Although we are paying close attention to the rivers Wye, Dee and Severn we are continuing to closely monitor all rivers across England and Wales during this period of very wet weather," he added.

Some parts of the UK have already been hit by flooding and insurance firm NFU Mutual has issued some advice for concerned homeowners.

The firm says that people should prepare for a flood by unplugging all electrical equipment and storing it upstairs, contacting the local council for sandbags and storing important documentation in sealed plastic bags.

Once the waters have subsided, homeowners should not switch the electrics back on until a professional has checked that it is safe to do so.

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