Severe flood warnings in place in response to January storm surge

Flood Damage Expected For East Coast

Gale-force winds and high tides are likely to create large and dangerous waves along parts of the east coast on Friday and Saturday 13th & 14th of January challenging flood defences and causing flood damage to properties, reports BBC News on 13 January 2017.

Due to a storm surge, the Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings – the highest possible alerts, which could mean danger for life – for coastal areas of Norfolk and Suffolk.

Mr Sitton-Kent, national duty manager at the Environment Agency, has urged the public not to put themselves at risk by driving through flood water or taking pictures.

Not out of danger yet

Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the first tide to hit the coast on Friday was “slightly under the height that we expected. The second, due this evening, may come out slightly higher than has been anticipated.”

“And so we will stay very active throughout the day on the ground, we will continue to warn and inform the communities that are at risk.”

The morning’s high tide passed Scarborough, Bridlington, Hull and Skegness without incident. The Environment Agency said it was an “improving picture” but urged caution.

Floods minister Therese Coffey said: “Our absolute priority is protecting lives, homes and businesses from the threat of coastal flooding currently facing the east coast.”

Areas at risk of flood damage

• Clacton-on-Sea: Ahead of the potential storm surge, police officers were going door-to-door in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, to inform residents of the need to leave their homes. About 2,500 could be affected here.
• Great Yarmouth: About 5,000 properties near Great Yarmouth are to be evacuated from 10:00 GMT by police and the Army.
• Lincolnshire: Further up the coast, the Ministry of Defence said about 100 soldiers from the Catterick army base had been deployed to Skegness, Lincolnshire, where about 3,000 residents have been urged to leave their homes or move upstairs.

Elsewhere in Lincolnshire, the Army remains on standby, while several schools are closed.

• Suffolk: In Suffolk, police said specific areas of the coast had been identified as being at high risk of flooding – taking in around 1,100 properties, which it said are likely to be evacuated.

What to do if you experience flood damage

As a result of the storm surge floods, authorities are fully expecting significant damage to properties and a need for flood restoration once the immediate dangers have passed.

This flood clean up is a process that can have serious consequences for the structure and integrity of your property, if the operation is not handled by specialist professionals.

So, in the event that you experience flood damage in the home, or at your business premises, your best course of action is to seek the advice of flood restoration experts, like UK nationwide experts Rainbow International.

They will be able to return the property to its pre-incident condition as quickly as possible, minimising secondary damage, efficiently and effectively, with the minimum of disruption.

Flood restoration experts, Rainbow International, have over 65 branches across the UK, and are on average 23 miles from any postcode or incident in the country. Contact them now to access their 24 hour helpline on 01623 422488 or visit the website and use the branch-finder on each page to find your local branch – rainbowint.co.uk.