Flooding

You can find out if you are at risk of flooding:

• imminently - check current flood warnings and river and sea levels
• in the next 5 days
• in the future - check your long term risk of flooding and view your area’s flood maps

If you live in an area that has previously been flooded, or live near to a river or watercourse, please make sure you have put flood defences in place and be alert for flood warnings from the Environment Agency.

While it's impossible to completely flood-proof a property, there are lots of things you can do to reduce flood damage.

Please also download the leaflet 'flooding planning managing and recovering from a flood'.

Actions you could take to help include:

• plan ahead and buy flood defences or sandbags from local DIY or builders merchants
• move treasured possessions to a place of safety (an upstairs room)
• make a personal or business flood plan, so you know what you will do/where you will go, if it does flood
• Sign up for free flood alerts - you can register for FLOODLINE alerts online or by phoning 0345 988 1188 to request flood warnings directly by phone, text or email
• download the leaflet 'flooding planning managing and recovering from a flood'
• get advice from the National Flood Forum about how to protect your property and how much this will cost
• find flood protection products and services at Blue Pages

We would encourage owners of homes and businesses in flood risk areas to make their own provision for flood defence, well in advance of a flood.

Sandbags will not totally prevent floodwater encroaching into property and householders should remove belongings to a safe location above the anticipated flood level.

People building flood defences with sandbags should also be aware of the building methods to make an effective seal and the health and safety implications of manual handling sandbags as they can be heavy.

Visit gov.uk for more information about how to prepare for a flood.

Whilst it’s not possible to remove all risk of flooding, there are some actions that you can take to help protect your property and those who live there:

Know the risk

• Sign up for flood warnings
• Sign up to weather warnings
• Check the long term flood risk to understand how likely it is that a place could flood in the future, what factors could contribute to future flooding and where to get information about managing your flood risk

Make a flood plan

• The Environment Agency offers detailed advice on how to make a plan for your property

Be prepared

The Environment Agency’s guide details how to prepare for a flood, including:

• Making sure you know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity supply
• Checking your household building or contents insurance covers flooding – FloodRe may be able to help if you need support
• Preparing a flood kit in case you need to leave your home

Check your home is ready

• Check your home and garden drains - are there leaves or other waste trapped in there? This could stop rainwater from draining away, so make sure you pull anything out.
• Check your flood protection equipment – ensure that any flood defences are working properly and ready for use.
• Check the drains on your road are clear.
• Drain your water butt – before wet weather comes, make space in your water butt by using water in the garden or to wash the car. Creating more room will help prevent too much rain getting into the sewers at once.

Sign up for free flood alerts - you can register for FLOODLINE alerts online or by phoning 0345 988 1188 to request flood warnings directly by phone, text or email

Flood warnings for England are published on the government's website.

You can also view up-to-date river level readings for your area.

Rivers in and around East Staffordshire are:

• River Trent - Drakelow (for Burton upon Trent) and Kings Bromley
• River Dove - Rocester, Doveridge, Aston Bridge, Rolleston on Dove
• River Churnet - Quixhill (Denstone)
• River Team - Upper Tean

The change in river depth can be checked for the last 48 hours.

Staffordshire County Council is responsible for highway drains.  To report a problem with drain flooding on the roads please contact Staffordshire County Council. 

For more information on how flooding is affecting roads please visit the Highways Agency website.

If you are flooded and want more advice or guidance, please contact the Environment Agency's Floodline service on 0345 988 1188.

You can listen to recorded flood warning information for your area or speak to an operator for advice 24 hours a day.

The Environment Agency website contains lots of information about what to do if you are worried about a flood, are flooded, and how to clean up after a flood. Use the following links to find out more, which all take you to the Environment Agency website:

• What to do if you are worried about flooding
• How to get help during a flood
• How to clear up after a flood - includes information on insurance, temporary accommodation and practical clearing up tips.

It’s not always simple to know who to contact in an emergency, but by saving this information, you’ll be able to access the support that you need, when you need it:

• Emergencies: If there is risk of serious illness, injury or risk to life, call 999.
• Flooding in the road: If you see flooding in local roads, report it to Staffordshire County Council online or at 0300 111 800. For major roads, contact the Highways Agency on 0300 123 5000.
• Major river flooding (breaking banks): For help, contact the Environment Agency flood hotline on 0345 988 1188.
• Sewer flooding: If you see sewer debris in flood water, like toilet paper or poo, get in touch with Severn Trent straight away on 0800 783 4444.

In the event of a flooding emergency that requires people to be evacuated from their homes, we have identified a number of premises across East Staffordshire, and if necessary will work with local organisations to set up and man rest centres. We will publish any details about rest centres to this page, if and when they are set up.

There are currently no rest centres set up in East Staffordshire.

The Council’s priority is to reinforce flood defences, protect highways and protect borough council assets at risk of flooding.

We are not responsible for protecting private property (such as homes and businesses) during or before a flood. This is the responsibility of the individual property owners/residents and not the responsibility of the borough council or any other agency.

You may wish purchase flood defence products or sandbags from local DIY or builders merchants.  Advice about how to protect your property and how much this will cost can be obtained from the National Flood Forum website.  Flood Protection Products and Services can be found on the  Blue Pages website. 

Please see the 'What should I do if my property is at risk of flooding?' tab above for further advice.

For general advice, call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour flood hotline on 0345 988 1188.

The National Flood Forum has a helpline that provides general support before, during and after a flood, including home resilience and insurance. Contact the charity on 01299 403 055.