Environment Agency launches Flood Action Week with new flood preparedness hub
Initiatives across West Midlands enhance resilience against flooding.
To coincide with the start of Flood Action Week, the Environment Agency has launched a new "one stop shop" for flood preparedness, targeting communities across England.
The initiative focuses on providing clear guidance to help households understand flood risk and undertake practical measures to protect their homes.
In the West Midlands, significant flood prevention work has been completed, benefitting communities such as Ewyas Harold in Herefordshire, which faced severe flooding last winter.
Efforts in Ewyas Harold have included clearing channels, desilting culverts, and removing large blockages.
The Environment Agency is also funding a natural flood risk management project that incorporates tree planting and leaky dam structures, aiming to bolster community resilience.
In Staffordshire, the Fowlea Brook flood risk management scheme was completed in February, reducing flood risk for 333 properties and unlocking further regeneration opportunities.
Meanwhile, in Tamworth, the Environment Agency plans to enhance existing flood defences along the River Anker, targeting protection for more than 2,200 residential properties.
Property flood resilience (PFR) measures have been installed at multiple locations such as Eardisland and Greyfriars in Herefordshire to improve protection from flooding.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy emphasized the importance of preparedness in addressing climate-related challenges, advocating for ambitious targets and substantial investment in flood defence.
The new flood preparedness website offers guidance on assessing flood risk, receiving warnings, and implementing property flood resilience measures.
This comes as the government embarks on a significant investment plan to enhance flood defences nationwide, with aims to protect 200,000 properties from flooding by 2029.
Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Floods at the Environment Agency, highlighted the role of ongoing investment and maintenance, ensuring that crucial defences continue to protect areas at risk.
Flood Action Week encourages proactivity in flood preparedness, with initiatives including free flood warnings, mobile pumps, and temporary barriers ready for deployment.