People across West Norfolk are being asked to check their drains and ditches to help prevent their homes being flooded.
You can find out more about what your responsibilities are at www.norfolk.gov.uk/flooding
Under UK law, landowners have a responsibility to keep watercourses on their property clear, even if only a few feet of a ditch pass through their property. Hedges or fences that are erected within the boundaries of a property can even prevent owners knowing they have a watercourse to maintain.
Lord Richard Dannatt, Chair of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance (NSFA), said: “It’s easy to put flooding into the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ box, and not think about it until the waters start rising, but the most effective steps to protect your home and yourself are taken much earlier. A quick check of your drains and watercourses, making sure water flows freely, can take just minutes but can save you hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages by giving water somewhere to drain to other than into the home.
“There are of course other actions that can be taken to prepare for flooding: on a countywide level, we in the NSFA have put in place new practices, new channels and new ways of working to make sure we can respond to flooding and mitigate it’s impacts more effectively across Norfolk. But to make the country truly resilient, we need everyone to play their part and think about how they can protect themselves and their homes this winter.”
For drains in public places and along West Norfolk’s highways, the County Council’s Highways Team work to clear them and keep roads open. You can report any blocked or broken drains on Norfolk’s highways via www.norfolk.gov.uk/flooding
To report a flood, or find out more about how to prepare for flooding, visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/flooding
In an emergency, residents across West Norfolk can report flooding by telephone via 0344 800 8013. If you are in immediate danger, dial 999 immediately.
