Rutland and Stamford residents are being urged to make preparations in advance for emergencies caused by extreme weather like Storm Austen.
The Met Office, British Red Cross and Local Resilience Forum (LRF) say preparation is key this winter to being able to deal with everyday emergencies like flooding and utilities outages.
The LRF for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland launched it's own campaign in March called Risk Ready to help local people prepare for emergencies and they back the new Government campaign which focusses on how emergencies can disrupt daily life and core services, including power, water, mobile phones and the internet.
Callum Faint, Chair of the LRF and Chief Fire Officer for LLR, said: “The launch of the Government’s national resilience campaign is a welcome reminder of the need for us all to be better prepared for local risks, like flooding, extreme weather, including wild fires, and power outages.
“By taking simple steps now, people can act faster in an emergency, support each other and recover more quickly."
This week Storm Austen and Boelo bring heavy rain and strong winds to much of the country, and further storms are expected across the winter months.
Faint urges that being prepared also reduces demand on the emergency services so they can focus on those in need the most.
The LRF suggests:
- Know your local risks – and where to find trusted information about them
- Get to know your neighbours – particularly anyone who would find it harder to cope in an emergency – and encourage anyone who may be eligible to sign up for the Priority Services Register, for additional support in a utility outage
- Keep a stock of essential supplies (ideally enough for three days) – including tinned food, bottled water, a torch and batteries and prescription medication
Meanwhile the Met Office suggests checking your long term flood risk using the government website, signing up for free flood warnings and preparing a plan.
They also detail performing property checks on loose and cracked roof tiles and advise clearing debris from guttering prior to storms as well as securing loose garden objects.
Along with the British Red Cross they suggest preparing an emergency kit which contains: a list of contact numbers and insurance documents, how to turn off your water, gas and electric, prescription medicines, first aid items, waterproof clothing, blankets, bottled water, snacks, baby and pet supplies, a fully charged portable power pack, spare keys and cash.
They also advise keeping provisions in your car for if you driving when bad weather hits.
The local campaign is run in partnership with Communities Prepared and Groundwork Five Counties and includes free workshops, webinars, resources and tailored support to help strengthen household and community resilience to everyday emergencies.
People can sign up now for the next Risk Ready webinar on preparing for winter
hazards which takes place on Wednesday 4 November, 6.30 – 8pm.
To sign up, and get free support from the Risk Ready programme, visit:
https://www.llrresilienceforum.org.uk /risk-ready-communities
Useful phone numbers include:
- Environment Agency floodline: 0345 9881188
- Emergency services: 999
- To report and check power cuts: 105
Stay safe this winter and tune in to Rutland & Stamford daily for weather and traffic updates.
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