Residents urged to remain safe as flood warnings in place across Warwickshire

Flooding disruption continues in Warwickshire today as emergency services and partners work together to support Warwickshire communities and keep road networks moving.

Over the last 24 hours Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service have received 82 emergency calls for assistance. This included calls for assistance with flooding, people trapped in their vehicles after driving through flood water and calls to rescue people trapped in their homes by flood water.  

Teams have been working tirelessly over the last few days managing flooded roads, delivering sandbags, removing fallen trees and clearing out blockages in drains and gullies. They are also checking on the integrity of the road surface and infrastructure, in case it has been damaged in the flood waters.  

Council staff have also been out to help clear roads and check on local communities who have been impacted by the weather. This has included phoning or knocking from door to door, to connect with residents and commercial property owners, to provide advice and understand any needs in the most impacted areas. Alternative temporary accommodation has been found for people who might need it. 

Warwickshire Local Resilience Forum Co-Chair and Chief Fire Officer at Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Ben Brook, said:

“Flooding remains a very real issue in Warwickshire and whilst the rain has stopped not all water levels have peaked, which means that residents need to do everything they can to keep themselves and each other safe. This means not driving through flood water, particularly when it’s close to homes already at risk of flooding as the wave effect will cause the water to rise.  

“Partners are continuing to work together as part of Warwickshire Local Resilience Forum as the county remains in the emergency phase of keeping communities safe.  As the weather improves and water levels reduce, partners will then move into the recovery phase of clearing up the damage and debris caused by the floods. 

“With the clean-up following a flood comes the potential hazards of contact with flood water, remember to wash your hands after touching the water as flood water can contain lots of debris or even sewage.”  

If you have been flooded, please be mindful of rogue traders when looking for assistance to clear out any debris or damaged furniture. Please talk to your insurer about what to do with any flood damaged items before anything is removed from your property. Flooding advice and information can be found here National Flood Forum – A charity to help, support and represent people at risk of flooding. And here Cleaning up your property after a flood - Floodguidance.co.uk 

You can check which rivers have flood alerts or flood warnings in place by visiting https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings. 

If you see flooding of public drains and roads, contact your local council. You should also call the Environment Agency Floodline on 0345 988 1188 if you see flooding from collapsed or badly damaged riverbanks, or unusual changes in river flow. Main rivers may also be blocked by a vehicle or fallen trees and increase the risk of flooding.

If you see animals trapped in flooded fields, please call 999 and report this to Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Please call Severn Trent Water on 0800 783 4444 if you see flooding from sewers and burst water mains.