Within the past couple of months, various areas of Birmingham have been hit by flash floods, which have wreaked mayhem and havoc to areas such as Kings Heath, Quinton, Harborne, Stirchley, and Selly Oak. Heavy rain affected these areas in particular much more significantly than anyone could have anticipated. Fire crews attended an astounding one hundred incidents in just four hours, while the region’s police force encouraged people to avoid driving due to roads being negatively affected by the adverse weather conditions.
Storefronts were flooded, several roads closed, and one bus was even evacuated on the Pershore Road, where water levels were reported to be five feet deep. So, when situations like this finally clear up, we get a chance to consider the consequences of the events. Here are a few ways to deal with potential future repetitions of these unexpected downpours.
Prevention is Better than Cure
As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and this can be applied directly to flooding situations. It’s always best to be prepared well in advance rather than attempting to reverse the damage caused later down the line. So, here are some steps that you can take to prepare yourself!
Taking Precautionary Steps
If you’re moving to the area (or any other area for that matter) you may want to use a risk management firm like http://www.argyllenvironmental.co.uk/ to carry out flood risk management on your property. You should also take the time to read through any insurance policies that you have. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re insured, only to find out that your policy doesn’t cover damage from natural causes or events once the damage has already occurred. This goes for policies covering both your home and your vehicle.
Knowing Where to Find Advice
There are various sources of advice for flooding out there. The local city council’s website is just one of them. So read up and understand different types of flooding (such as fluvial flooding, pluvial flooding, sewer flooding, and reservoir flooding) in order to familiarise yourself with each and to know how to deal with each type most effectively. You will be able to pick up some situation-specific tips and tricks along the way.
Reporting Issues Early On
Sometimes issues develop quickly and local councils lack the necessary resources to keep up with the problem. However, there are occasionally situations where you can report warning signs of flooding and they can be combated before they develop into major issues. Preventative or protective equipment such as sandbags can be deployed to the area of flooding and make a profound difference. So, never feel hesitant to report a potential problem. The sooner that it is addressed, the better!
While situations such as this are entirely unfortunate, at least we can learn a lesson or two from them! So, keep all of this information in the back of your mind, ready to be drawn upon should you find yourself in a similar situation in the future!
