Being prepared for flooding.

[medicmark]

Hi, speaking as a former flood and swiftwater rescue instructor, the issues with flooding at this time is that areas which have never flooded are now under water.
the other issue is about evacuation/bug out, 30 cm of water flowing fast will move a car once the situation has got to this you will need asistance. if you do evacuate and are swept away basically sit with feet pointing downstream so you can protect yourself from hazards. utilize the water to help you, dont swim against it you will loose, look for a safe point and swim towards it with all you have.
As someone with a disability and family with disabilities please look out for neighbours especially the elderly.
Prepping has to be primaraly about you and yours but when the s hits the fan and no ones available to help we have to step in.

[sniper 55]

My grandfather lived in a house that flooded fairly often, he raised door levels with big steps, sealed air bricks and laid tiled floors (somebody else said this) he also moved the power points half way up the walls so the water didn'y get into the eletrics. He also took the walls back to the old stone and varnished that, it looked nice to be honest.
If the water did get in it didn't do too much damage.
Having said all that his house didn't flood that badly, maybe a foot or two max, not like some of the houses I've seen recently in the terrible floods this year (and last).

[ForgeCorvus]

I'm sure that some of the places that have now flooded for the first time are because of heavy flood protection on the places that flooded previously, you can't protect the entire riverside as the water has to be somewhere

Near me are the Ouse Washes, this is an area of undeveloped land that is allowed to flood to protect everywhere else. Flood Plains serve a purpose, why do people insist on building on them?

My heart goes out to the poor buggers who've been flooded three or four times in the past few weeks

[Yorkshire Andy]

This guy has taken flood preps and made it work
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35196347

[Jan Smits]

This may be an ignorant question, does the electric always go off? In some of the footage I thought I saw buildings standing in three feet of water with all the lights on. Wouldn't everyone get electrocuted or did I watch too many films?

[Deep Thinker]

Live next to a burn that bursts and over the years have built up turf mound 18 inches and concrete blocks just to give a bit extra protection and am lucky it goes off into field .But will be getting something more substantial in coming months .Have to agree with previous posts why do we keep allowing houses to be built on flood plains and nowhere for water to go .Once a house is flooded will be lucky to get flood insurance again and tragic for people. Also amazes me when people go walking through moving water for a nosy they have no idea the force it has. Thoughts go to those who have been less fortunate this time and be safe.

[Stasher]

My heart breaks every time I see these poor people driven from their homes, sometimes more than once in a week.

Seeing these television reports has made me review our 'grab n go' bags.

The USB stick which once only held scans of insurance documents, financial investments, title deeds etc has now also had a large number of family photos added. This has included scanning old photos pre-digital era. If I lose my home, I don't want to lose the wedding photos and my favourite photo of Grandma on top of everything else. It's not a massively practical prep, but it will help emotionally

[Wingfoot]

Those who are being hit by flooding have my sympathy, after fire, it must be the worst thing that can happen to your home.

Thankfully I will never be flooded, but as said the water has to be given somewhere to go & building on flood plains or other vunerable positions is simply bad planning or greed on someones part.

Wf

[Arzosah]

This may be an ignorant question, does the electric always go off? In some of the footage I thought I saw buildings standing in three feet of water with all the lights on. Wouldn't everyone get electrocuted or did I watch too many films?

Thats a good question, actually - I *think* the power will always go off in the end, but it may be, for instance, when the substation gets flooded, not your individual house.

I have a flash drive with my whole laptop backed up onto it, as well as a hard drive - both stored on the first floor.

I doubt this house will be flooded, if it is, Noah and his Ark will be sailing past me, but floods aren't always massive - about 15 years ago, my house and my house alone flooded, because a drain far uphill had got blocked and because of a bend in the road, my house, which was on a side road, had all the rainwater aimed straight for it. Broke the living room window and had water over the whole of the living room and kitchen, inches deep.

Ever since then, I store as little on the floor as possible.

[sniper 55]

This may be an ignorant question, does the electric always go off? In some of the footage I thought I saw buildings standing in three feet of water with all the lights on. Wouldn't everyone get electrocuted or did I watch too many films?

It doesn't always go off, usually if the water reaches a socket or a switch it'll trip the circuit breaker (elcb) for that circuit. The lights may be on but the power points are probably off.