The Environment Agency operates a flood warning
system, giving information to the public, media, emergency services
and local Authorities.
Using the latest available technology, the
Agency monitors rainfall, river levels and sea conditions 24 hours
a day and use this information to forecast the possibility of
flooding. If flooding is forecast, warnings are issued using a set
of four easily recognisable codes. The following codes are
used:
- Flood Watch - Flooding
possible. Be aware! Be prepared! Watch out!
- Flood Warning - Flooding
expected affecting homes, businesses and main roads. Act now!
- Severe Flood Warning - Severe
flooding expected. Imminent danger to life and property.
- All Clear - An all clear will
be issued when flood watches or warnings are no longer in
force.
For more information on the current flooding
situation, visit the
Environment Agency website.
When there is a risk of flooding the Agency
issues warnings through the media; they are broadcast on TV weather
bulletins and on radio weather and travel reports. Make sure you
know which is your local radio station.
Flood warnings are also displayed on ITV
Teletext regional weather pages (page 154) and on BBC Ceefax (page
419).
The Environment Agency provides the
Floodline Service - Telephone Number 0845 988
1188. You can listen to recorded flood warning information
or speak to an operator for general information and advice 24 hours
a day.
What this Council Will Do
The Council's approach to providing emergency
assistance during times of flooding is as follows:
- The Council has no legal responsibility to
provide assistance to residents during times of flood.
- The Council will provided emergency assistance
on an ad hoc basis dependent upon local conditions, its obligations
elsewhere in the district and its available resources.
- The Council will provide
sandbags
or other such equipment as it feels appropriate, if they are
available, to assist with the defence from flooding to persons or
property within the area.
- The Council operates a local flood plan in the
event of a flooding incident and this includes its response to the
two formal flood zones in the district in
Appleby and
Eamont Bridge.
- The Council will assist with the dissemination
of Environment Agency flood warnings where appropriate. The Council
will keep the necessary equipment at their depot to carry out the
above functions, or have facilities to get access to the
appropriate equipment rapidly.
- Very serious flooding resulting in the need for
evacuation of houses, provision of temporary accommodation and the
like is covered by the Council's Emergency Plan.
If you live near the coast, there is always a
possibility that a combination of high tides and bad weather will
threaten your property with flooding, even though engineers will
have done as much as possible to reduce the risk of this
happening.
However, even if you live inland, events over
the past few winters have demonstrated that exceptional storms can
cause flooding even on hill slopes, when the drainage system is
simply overwhelmed by the amount of water it is expected to
carry.
In addition, when the ground is saturated even
small additional amounts of rainfall will find it difficult to
drain away from gardens and enclosed spaces.
The Council, at times of emergency, will be
endeavouring to protect the public at large and will not be able to
assist a large number of individual homeowners who may find their
properties threatened.
For Further Information
- Contact: Senior Assistant
Director Community Services, Mansion House, Penrith CA11 7YG
- Email: engineer@eden.gov.uk
- Telephone: (01768) 212302
- Fax: (01768) 890732
