Flash flood communities 'need a plan', Environment Agency says

Residents urged to get to know steps to stay safe during flooding 

Communities at risk of flash floods need to have a plan in place to stay safe during a flooding event, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

EA officers are visiting residents in the Forest of Dean this week to raise awareness of flash flooding risks.

They will support residents to plan, prepare and understand what to do in a flash flood event.

EA flood resilience engagement advisor, Carole Hender, said the effects of flooding can be "devastating".

"Knowing what to do in a flood can significantly reduce the risk to life, property and possessions," she said.

"We are visiting Lydney and Cinderford to speak to residents about how to be prepared and what they can do to stay safe if they are impacted by flooding."

Some properties in Lydney and Cinderford are in Rapid Response Catchments, which means rivers are very responsive to heavy rainfall and can cause flash flooding even before flood warnings are issued.  

Residents will be given advice on how to prepare for flooding

EA Midlands manager Nick Green said they want to aid community resilience.

EA officers visited properties in Cinderford on 4 April and will visit Lydney on Tuesday.

Mr Green told BBC Gloucestershire that Cinderford brook rapidly responds in a big storm event and the community does not have a lot of time to react to the river rise.

"It can cut off roads, it can cut of infrastructure and people's properties can flood really quickly when you get big rainstorm events and thunderstorms that are very localised," he said.

It is estimated that 5.2 million properties in England are at risk of flooding

In rural locations such as Cinderford, where there is a large catchment area for water to land and flow into water courses, it is not possible to build hard infrastructure to stop the water getting into communities, Mr Green added.

It is therefore important that residents have a plan in place for when flooding occurs.

Mr Green advised residents to sign up for EA flood warnings and to make sure they understand the significance of a yellow or amber warning.

The EA is working in conjunction with Cinderford Town Council to not only understand flash flood risks, but to try and slow the flow of water getting into the rivers by natural flood management schemes.

A Forest of Dean District Council spokesperson said they were "pleased" to be able to help their at-risk communities.

"We'll be working with the Environment Agency to ensure that people in these areas know how to prepare for flooding, and if it does occur, what to do and who to contact about different issues," they said.