New service to give flood warnings (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

New service to give flood warnings

10:00am Sunday 26th February 2006 in

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REDBRIDGE residents are being urged to sign up to a new floodline warning service.

Floodline Warnings Direct provides alerts to people who live, work or travel in flood risk areas by telephone, mobile, fax or pager 24 hours a day.

But despite the risks of flooding many people are still not signed up to the service.

In a bid to promote the service, the Environment Agency will be driving around Wanstead on Monday, March 13, with roof mounted loud speakers on its vehicles to broadcast warning messages in areas prone to flooding.

Now the Environment Agency is contacting more than 400,000 homes and businesses in flood risk areas across the country by direct mail to encourage them to sign up.

Eamonn Forde from the Environment Agency, said: "All too often lack of preparation is the biggest factor in why a flood devastates a home, but it doesn't need to be that way.

"Floodline Warnings Direct provides people with an early warning to help keep their family safe and limit the damage that flooding can cause."

Drainage problems were blamed for flooding in Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, in October 2000.

Residents of Wanstead Park Road and Roding Lane South were also affected with several having to spend a night at a rest centre temporarily set up at Caterham High School in Caterham Avenue, Clayhall.

For information on registering call the 24-hour floodline on 0845 988 1188 or visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodline.