The guides are part of the agency's Flood Awareness Campaign which urges every household and business to check their flood risk by calling Floodline on 0845 9881188 or using the online postcode checker to be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood.

More than 2,200,000 homes are situated in areas at risk of coastal or river flooding in England and Wales and even those properties not at risk can still be affected by surface water flooding in cases where drainage systems are unable to deal with intense rainfall.
Last summer around 50,000 homes were flooded, many of which had never flooded before.

With an estimated £1 billion being spent repairing damage caused by flooding annually – not to mention the personal cost in terms of damaged possessions and irreplaceable memories – flooding can have a devastating impact on people's lives.

The Environment Agency guides outline the steps to take to minimise this damage and disruption. The three guides are entitled:

• Preparing for a flood – The guide contains practical advice including how to create a flood plan, prepare a flood kit of essential items, and lists of key contacts. It explains the different flood warning codes, outlining what action should be taken when a flood happens and gives advice on what you can do to minimise flood water entering your property.




• During a flood – Offering advice on what steps should be taken in an emergency, how to protect your possessions, utilising your flood kit and what to do in an evacuation.




• After a flood – Providing guidance on how to recover following a flood, including what to do on returning to your property, clearing up after a flood, dealing with an insurance claim and finding temporary housing. It also contains essential information to ensure your home is protected from future flooding.

Environment Agency flood risk manager, Peter Holmes said: "People must be prepared for floods and know what to do if the worst happens. We strongly advise that every household in a flood risk area has their own plan of action that can be quickly put in place during a flood emergency. All households should read our three new flooding guides, as in many cases preparation makes a big difference."

For further information about how to prepare for flooding and to obtain copies of the Environment Agency's three flooding guides visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood or call Floodline 0845 988 1188.