Roles before a flood

The impact of a flood can be greatly alleviated by some simple planning.

In many ways, the effort put in before a flood event is the most important part of any flood resilience champion. 

If networks and a strong community is fostered before such events, then all community members are more likely to act decisively and effectively.

Some of the roles before a flood can include:

• Assist with the creation and maintenance of a Community Flood Plan
  - A flood plan ensures that everyone knows exactly what to do when a flood does occur. This could include a list of vulnerable people to check-in on, ensuring that people have adequate supplies, or making a list of useful phone numbers.
• Share the Community Flood Plan and other flood related information with the public
  - The more people who are aware of a flood plan, the more effective these plans will be. 
• Encourage individuals to sign up to the Environment Agency free flood warning service
  - Although these alerts can seem alarmist, having your community warned at the same time allows for a coordinated response.
• Have local knowledge and information on the latest flood situation
  - You are in the best position to determine whether a flood warning is a genuine threat or not. Be proactive, rather than waiting for emergency services or government agencies to respond to a situation.
• Monitor the condition of local drains, brooks and other watercourses and report any issues to the appropriate agency
  - Clearing drainage systems and channels means the infrastucture that's already in place can operate to the best of its ability.