Explore Challenges
- 7 March 2012: Global health in the 21st Century
- Adapting to an urban future
- Educating for tomorrow
- Digital technology in Africa
- Persistent poverty in Britain
- Can the UK ever be sustainable?
- Plastic pollution in the oceans
- Natural disasters: how can we improve?
- Not In My Back Yard
- Digital Divide in the UK?
- Importing goods, exporting drought?
- Britain’s ageing population
- Engineering our climate
- The future shape of Capitalism
- Migration: skills and the job market
- Razing the Rainforest
- London under water
- Concreting the countryside
- Future of low carbon energy.
- Africa in the 21st Century
Ways to prepare for a flood
There are various ways in which you can help protect your property from flood damange
1 Timber floors above solid concrete. Wood and tile floors with rugs that can be moved will suffer less damage in a flood than a fitted carpet
2 Replace chipboard kitchen and bathroom units with plastic or solid wood. Or raise cupboards up on stilts so that water can flow beneath them
3 Fit water resistant doors and window frames
4 Buy airbricks with removable covers – put them on during the flood but remember to remove afterwards to help the drying out process
5 Install non-return valves in drainage pipes to prevent sewage backing up into the house
6 Replace usual plaster with a more water resistant version such as lime plaster or cement render
7 Always use waterproof sealant on external walls and water resistant paint on internal walls
The Environment Agency publication Preparing for a flood contains practical advice on how to help reduce the effects of flooding on you and your property
Preparing for a flood leaflet