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So far it hasn’t been a good summer for householders; while many in the north of England were still counting the cost of the storms in June, the South was being hit by a series of torrential downpours that caused widespread flooding and extensive damage.

With thousands of people already forced to evacuate their homes – and hundreds more left without power or water – the repair bill is estimated to run into billions.

According to a recent Panorama report around five million people in England and Wales currently live in areas prone to flooding, with planning applications on flood plains in the UK rising every year for the last five. The Government, this week, unveiled plans to build three million new homes by 2020 – some, it admitted, on flood plains – which could mean, according to some sources, that waterlogged scenes such as the ones already witnessed this summer, will become increasingly more common.

And it’s not just those living in the immediate vicinity of water who are at risk; before you consider moving home ask yourself whether the property at the bottom of a hill or valley, or in an area below sea level? If the answer is ‘yes’, to either of these questions it may be worth taking extra precautions.

Properties at the bottom of hills, even seemly innocuous or small ones, can be vulnerable to rain water surface run-off – a danger during excessive rain such as much of the country has experienced over the last two weeks. If you find yourself living below sea level, there is the possibility that rising groundwater can build up around your property leading blocked sewers to feed back and flood your home.
Despite the obvious measure of ensuring you have adequate house and contents insurance cover in place (and a recent survey showed that floorboard or airbrick covers that clip on and off when required. If you are considering investing in these sorts of flood prevention products the more than half of British people were inadequately covered against flooding) there are some products you can install in advance, such as government advises buying KiteMarked certified flood items, which have been rigorously tested. They also advise people in vulnerable areas (i.e. if your property has been flooded previously) to put up shelves in their ground floor rooms so that smaller items can be put on a higher level quickly if you suddenly find you have the Thames seeping into your living room.

The following key points on flood contingency plans have been summarised from advice given by the Environment Agency. More detailed information can be obtained from its advice line on 0845 988 1188 or by accessing the website.

What do during a flood?

• Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains.
• Put plugs into sinks and weigh them down with something heavy.
• Unplug all electrical items and store upstairs or as high up as possible.
• Reduce flood water getting into your home by covering doors, windows and airbricks with sandbags, plywood or metal sheeting.
• If possible, move as much furniture, electrical goods and personal items to a higher floor.
• If you can’t move heavy furniture upstairs try to drag it away from walls – it helps when drying your property later.
• Leave internal doors open, or ideally, remove them and store them upstairs.
• Keep important documents (insurance policy in particular) in a sealed bag away from the flood water.

After a flood

• Call your insurance company’s Emergency Helpline as soon as possible.
• Keep a record of the flood damage, (photographs or video footage) and retain correspondence with insurers after the flood.
• Arrange immediate emergency pumping/repair work to protect your property from further damage. This can be undertaken without insurer approval, just remember to get receipts.
• Check if you need to move into alternative accommodation, this cost is normally covered under a household policy.
• Make sure your insurance company knows where to contact you if you have to move out of your home.

The Clean Up

• Check with your local authority or health authority for suppliers of cleaning materials or equipment to dry out your property.
• Open doors and windows to ventilate the house but make sure your house and valuables are secure.
• Contact your utility companies. Have your power supplies checked before you turn them back on to make sure they have dried out. Wash taps and run them for a few minutes before use.
• Throw away food which may have been in contact with floodwater – it’s likely to be contaminated. Contact your local authority Environmental Health department for further advice.