How can I protect my home during a flood?
Storm Desmond battered Britain this weekend, bringing rain and severe flooding across Scotland and much of the north of England.
Get the latest flooding news here.
How can I protect my home during a flood?
The main advice when protecting your home during a flood is to focus on the safety of yourself and your family.
If you have not had time to prepare, work with the people around you and do the following as soon as possible:
Turn off electricity, water and gas supplies
Do not touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water
Move your family and pets upstairs, or to a high place with a means of escape
Try and install flood protection items to seal gaps
Move important items to safety
Place important documents inside polythene bags before moving them
You can get water out of your property using a pump and generator, but only do so when the levels outside are lower than inside. This will reduce structural damage.
Move furniture and electrical items to safety
Put flood boards, polythene and sandbags in place to seal gaps
Roll up carpets and rugs
Contact the Health Protection Agency: 01235 822 603/742 for more information.