Home » Our Mission » Adaptation » Flood Preparation and Management for Councils and Community Groups

Flood Preparation and Management for Councils and Community Groups

Quick “How To” Prepare

  • Check your flood risk for your parish, both fluvial and pluvial
  • Sign up for flood warnings
  • Develop your knowledge base: see list of useful links
  • Gather a working party of interested residents
  • Inform and prepare your residents with guidance for householders and businesses/community facilities
  • Advertise and encourage take-up of free training from Communities Prepared
  • Set up a “flood action day” with sandbags and/or gauge interest in surface water pumps etc, see Flood Action Week 13-19 October
  • Prepare (or update) a Community Emergency Plan
  • Send your CEP to appropriate authority (CSW?)
  • Encourage a buddy/street warden system or WhatsApp group

Reminders During a Flood Event:

Communicate, communicate, communicate

  • Remind residents to help to prevent combined sewer overflows by altering your actions during flood events to discharge less water into drains
  • Remind residents to exercise caution when driving through flood water, for themselves and for other properties
  • Remind residents to consider unnecessary journeys or lift share
  • Remind residents to think forward in emergencies (e.g. schools closing, pets at home) for alternate routes and pick-up points, try Families Prepared training
  • If you are running through a Community Emergency Plan, keep your residents advised of action being taken and ask them to be eyes and ears
  • Appoint a lead comms person for Facebook/social groups to
    • communicate actions taken and keep a log if possible
    • advise of latest on travel and road closures, accident, business/school closures
  • Top tip: follow up with a survey whilst events are still fresh to help inform future planning and response

Quick “How To” Manage/Prevent

  • Use Flood Action Week (October 20-24) to be Flood Aware: Plan and Prepare
  • Create or support a Flood Action Group, see section below
  • Consider prevention measures, including nature based solutions, drains clearance, see Slow the Flow for Work/school/public spaces
  • Promote take up of household measures: leaky water butts, rain gardens, permeable surfaces, green roof, see “Slow the Flow” at Home
  • Raise awareness of householder responsibility on wet wipes/kitchen roll/sanitary products and other food/paint/etc down the drains, see UnBlocktober and drainage habits survey
  • Be informed on and communicate about Local Authority maintenance and responsibilities, e.g. WCC and drains clearance
  • Be informed how your council and community can “do it yourselves”, see Great Alne Drain Guardians
  • Look at training volunteers or employing a lengthsman, see Warwickshire County Council
  • Be informed on invasive non-native plant species and ensure appropriate response is taken (e.g. Environment Agency, floating pennywort, Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed etc )
  • Many rural properties use independent septic tanks and sewage processing systems; public health risks and groundcontamination should be considered.

Why should we prepare for floods?

In November 2024, Matt Whitehead, Climate Change and Sustainability Lead, Warwickshire County Council and Becky Davies, Climate Change Adaptation Officer, Warwick District Council presented to an online audience of 80 people. The event was organised by Warwickshire Climate Alliance.

The presentation on preparing for climate change included data on global average surface temperatures as well as precipitation and what we can expect in Warwickshire as a result. This included summer and winter scenarios, the implications for extreme weather events and potential impacts on residents, businesses, infrastructure, emergency services and the environment.

The National Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and the system for national and local government resilience were explained, including Coventry Solihull & Warwickshire’s Adverse Weather Plan.

Key actions to improve resilience in the community were shared.

  • Town and Parish Council Emergency Plans (to cover a range of emergencies) – template and support available from local Emergency Planning Teams (assume CSW Resilience)
  • Community Flood Action Plans – template and support available from Warwickshire County Council Flood Risk Management Team and local Emergency Planning Teams – confirm
  • Warwickshire Local Resilience Forum website – lots of useful guidance on a range of emergencies.
  • Town and Parish Council Local Nature Action Plans – template and guidance to create biodiverse and resilient neighbourhoods is available from the Coventry Warwickshire & Solihull Local Nature Partnership website
  • Local communication channels and alert systems e.g. street or neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, social media channels

Warwick District’s biodiversity action programme and the South Warwickshire Local Plan are interlinked with climate change adaptation.

Nature-based solutions are key. Suggestions for actions that use the power of nature to address societal challenges and provide benefits for people and the environment included:

  • Green spaces in urban areas to mitigate urban heat island effect, improve air quality and provide recreation opportunities e.g. parks, urban forests, green roofs and walls, etc.
  • Tree planting to mitigate heat, absorb carbon and improve air quality.
  • Natural water storage solutions to help prevent droughts and floods and support biodiversity e.g. SuDs, scrapes, swales, rain gardens, etc.
  • Wetland restoration to provide natural buffer against floods, improve water quality through filtration and support biodiversity.

How individuals can help at household level

Residents can help to reduce strain on emergency services by preparing at household level for floods, before during and after.  Although not all properties are directly affected by flooding, more households will be indirectly impacted with road, school and businesses closures.

Residents can also take action at home to help prevent flooding in the first place.  Planting, water butts and permeable surfaces help to “slow the flow” and create a more climate resilient landscape. (Reminder needed to reduce loads on drains and our combined sewers)

Download the presentation: Climate Adaptation in Warwickshire 25 November 2024

Further reading: Warwickshire Resilience Forum- What is the risk of flooding to Warwickshire

What can we do to prepare (mitigate)?

To find out if you are at risk, Government guidance suggests:

Householder guidance:

Business guidance

Community guidance:

Top tip: Let the Environment Agency know when you’ve completed your flood plan by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188

Sandbag Position Statement for Warwickshire Resilience Forum – Approved 14 May 2025.

If your property is at risk of flooding (check here), Warwickshire Resilience Forum (WRF) partners recommend investing in property flood protection measures to reduce your risk. These products are more effective than sandbags.

For further advice see:

If flooding is imminent

Local authorities are not required to provide sandbags and their performance during flooding is variable. If you want sandbags, consider contacting a local builders merchants. Alternatively, consider filling pillowcases or bags with soil to use in a similar way to sandbags, ideally with a tarpaulin sheet between them and the door/opening. Full statement

Training: Get Flood-ready

Free training available

From the Communities Prepared website:

Communities Prepared equips communities nationwide with the knowledge and confidence to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies, from flooding and severe weather incidents to pandemics. Whether you’re already active and aware of these topics or are new to resilience training, it is free to join as a community member, a volunteer coordinator or an individual professional to access learning resources, register for online training sessions and access a members forum as part of a national network of groups and individuals looking to strengthen resilience in their communities.

Setting up a Flood Action Group

Ten steps to success, based on A Guide to Forming a Flood Group from The Flood Hub:

  • Gather committed residents and support
  • Choose a name and clarify purpose
  • Set clear aims & objectives
  • Assign roles and meet regularly
  • Engage in community awareness and planning activity
  • Formalise (constitution, funding, insurance) if needed
  • Partner with RMAs and agencies
  • Monitor, log issues, and maintain communication
  • Act during flood events with wardens and planned responses
  • Have a debrief meeting to review, learn and adapt if necessary

What can we do to prepare (adapt)?

 (What about “alleviate”, is this interchangeable? E.g. Snitterfield culvert bypass was billed as a flood alleviation project)

From the Flood Hub: Download the toolkit

Sustainable drainage systems, or ‘SuDS’, are ways of managing surface water locally by mimicking how water naturally drains through the environment. Unlike traditional drainage networks which rely on underground pipes and sewers, SuDS slow the flow of water and allow it to soak into the ground, be stored, or used by vegetation.

Sustainable drainage systems refer to a wide range of features that manage surface water in different ways. These can include rain gardens, swales, green roofs, permeable paving, detention basins, and more. SuDS can be integrated into gardens, housing developments, roadsides, and public spaces.

Local examples

  • Stratford District Council: rainwater harvesting
  • Warwick District Council: rain gardens

Learning resources from a recent Ashden Adaptation Network webinar include:

What if we don’t own land?

Residents can all help to adapt/alleviate, through

  • Tree and hedge planting
  • Rain gardens
  • Leaky water butts
  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Permeable surfaces
  • (Check clover lawns)

Your community group can help by:

  • Seeking external funding for projects
  • Collating information for residents and creating a comms pack
  • Organising public space SuDS planting
  • Creating a flood warden network and comms group
  • Regular litter picks to ensure drains kept clear, prevent pollution
  • Invasive species control e.g. balsam bashing

Your council can help by:

  • Responding to planning applications, sharing local knowledge of flood risk and requesting implementation of SuDS where applicable.
  • Calling multi-agency meetings, do not accept developers “better than before”, negotiate for the “best for our community”
  • Funding a community flood tool shed, equipment and “Road Closed” signage.
  • Providing public liability insurance for organised events

What trees should we plant?

See the Tree Planting resource pack

Projects to consider

  • Community Flood Tool Shed: Create a library or bank of tools at your local community facility; an outdoor shed with secure locking will be sufficient. In addition to a defibrillator, a store of flood equipment, rakes and spades can be handy as part of your community emergency planning preparation. See Rushden Borough Council Developing a Flood Resilience Store
  • Equipping your local Rest Centre (usually a village hall) with emergency blankets, batteries, torches and first aid training/kits
  • Consider employing and/or training using the Lengthsman Scheme with Warwickshire County Council. You could work with neighbouring parishes or collaborate with your local network of facilities.

Case studies

  • Shipston Flood Action Group
  • Great Alne Drain Guardians
  • Severn Trent water butts trial
  • Snitterfield Trash Screens (and Twitter feed)
  • Henley-in-Arden: Ongoing – who is lead in community?

Funding for project costs:

What are the long term implications?

Parish and Town Councils – as well as management committees of community facilities – should set aside an appropriate budget and forward plan for maintenance for any new and existing equipment.

Further reading: Clear Councils Insurance Guidance “What parish and town councils can do to manage flood risk in their community “

Local flood groups

(Why is there no local forum for flood groups? This is an opportunity missed. I last attended one in 2017/8?) What happened to the Pathfinders project?)

Rural Flood Resilience Partnership

NALC is working with ACRE to provide Parish and Town Councils with information on how to consider flood resilience when working with local communities, including writing Neighbourhood Development Plans. A survey is underway in July/August 2025. The results will directly shape the development of practical resources tailored to local needs, ensuring that any future resources are genuinely helpful and relevant.

Member organisations of Rural Flood Resilience Partnership are:

  • Environment Agency
  • National Farmers Union (NFU)
  • Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
  • Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA)
  • Country Land and Business Association (CLA)
  • Natural England

Ongoing Inquiry: Flood resilience in England

The Environmental Audit Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry on flood resilience in England, focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and evolving flood hazards. A call for evidence was circulated to parish and town councils; the deadline for submission was 13 January 2025.  A number of local councils have responded.

National Resources:

The Flood Hub has been designed to be a one stop shop for flood information and resources to support householders, businesses and communities across the North West in becoming more flood resilient. Multiple sources of relevant guidance are included in a Knowledge Hub to give an overview of flood resilience and its many related topics.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Flooding and Flooded Communities aims to discuss further flood prevention across the UK to minimise the impact of flooding on the public and businesses. The APPG aims to represent flooded communities, provide a forum for debate, access to specialist information, and help shape future policy to support those most impacted by flooding. The National Flood Forum provides the secretariat for these meetings. Read the minutes

National Flood Forum: Charity to help, support and represent people at risk of flooding

Communities Prepared: Equips Community Emergency Volunteers (CEV) and Flood Warden groups with the knowledge and confidence to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies, from flooding and severe weather incidents to pandemics.

National Association of Local Councils: Emergency Planning Parish and town councils can play a key role in supporting and coordinating local efforts.

Flood Re: Helps property owners at risk of flooding find affordable home insurance

Building Research Establishment: Flood Resilient Repair House

DEFRA: Avon Warwickshire Management Catchment

Environment Agency Flood Blog

Slow the Flow: Charity working to advance the education of the public in Natural Flood Management, Sustainable Drainage Systems and other renewable methods of managing the environment

Severn Trent: Your Guide to Sewer Flooding

Local Organisations:

Warwickshire County Council: Lead Local Flood Authority

Warwickshire Resilience Forum: Partnership of public, private, and voluntary sector organisations, including Warwickshire’s emergency services, Warwickshire County Council, and the county’s five Borough and District Councils.

CSW Resilience: Ensure Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire Councils can respond to emergencies that occur with their area.

Canals & Rivers Trust: Invasive species

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust: Natural Flood Management

Additional resources:

NALC and ACRE launch flood resilience survey for parish and town councils

NALC blog: Stradford Parish Council: Building Stradbroke’s Community Emergency Response

Sustainable Warwickshire podcast: Flooding in Warwickshire: How Communities Can Prepare and Respond

Snitterfield Culvert Bypass Scheme

Nottinghamshire Community Resilience: Community Emergency Plan (helps to identify skills and vulnerable register) and corresponding guidance – recommended by NALC

Central Bedfordshire: Community Flood Kit Guidance

In this section