Ashburton to receive new flood warning service
The Environment Agency has announced that they now offer a new flood warning service for Ashburton in Devon. The flood warnings service went live on Wednesday 2nd March.
Ashburton has an extensive history of flooding with the most noticeable event on 04th August 1938 when intense rainfall led to extensive property flooding to depths around 5ft. A flood defence scheme was built in 1983 on the River Ashburn which has prevented the town centre from flooding since. While the flood defence scheme reduces the chance of flooding, it doesn’t eliminate the risk completely.
The new flood warning service is a significant improvement in the level of service being offered, with the ability to contact those residents at flood risk directly. This provides more time for the community to take action to protect themselves and their property. Over 300 properties will be auto-registered to receive flood warnings for the River Ashburn at Ashburton and over 125 of those are at high risk.
Flood Warnings tell people about an imminent risk of flooding to their home or business and help people make informed decisions about how to respond. There are three types of warning – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning. Each warning type is triggered by particular weather, river or sea conditions which cause flooding.
Householders are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn't want to lose if flooding were to take place. A Flood Warning calls on people to act now which means turning off gas, water and electricity and moving family and pets to safety. A Severe Flood Warning means you are in immediate danger and to follow advice from emergency services.
Ben Johnstone, Area flood and Coastal Erosion Manager said: "We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority. However, the climate emergency means we cannot prevent all flooding – so we’re working to make communities more resilient.
We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding which is why we're pleased that people in Asburton will now be able to receive our free flood warning service."
Additional funding from the Government has enabled the Environment Agency to invest in the latest technology and infrastructure needed to provide a flood warning service in Ashburton and over 200 other communities across England. In total an additional 62,000 properties at risk of flooding will receive Flood Warnings by the end of 2022.
Home and business owners will be auto enrolled to the Flood Warning service via their mobile network. However, to get the most benefit out of the service the Environment Agency is encouraging people to register directly with them by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or visiting https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings where they can register preferred contact details.
