Residents urged to pack an emergency grab bag in case of London flooding
Residents in part of West London have been advised to prepare an emergency grab bag in case of flooding.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has encouraged the public to pack a range of essentials into a waterproof bag as concerns over flash flooding continue to rise.
James Latham, Principal Flood and Water Management Officer, said: “Our residents are particularly at risk of surface water flooding and heavy rainfall can be difficult to predict so an emergency grab bag is a relatively simple step to take to help if there was an incident.
“I think the frequency of which we’re expected to see flooding will probably increase because of climate change, so it becomes much more essential to know what information and equipment you need in the immediate aftermath.”
It’s recommended that the bag is kept away from the ground and should include: personal documents, such as a passport and insurance papers, a torch, blanket, power banks, batteries, medication, waterproof layers, welly boots and water.
James explained that residents feel ‘powerless’ but that the council has launched several preventative measures to ease concern, including the installation of sustainable drainage to help slow the flow of rain into the sewers.
In July 2021 London was deluged after a heavy downpour and the council estimates that some 500 properties in the borough were impacted by the flooding.
Some residents were forced out of their homes for months due to the severity of the damage and James raised concerns that climate change could result in similar scenes in the near future.
He warned that many people in the borough are unlikely to realise they are at risk: “It’s not like a small river where you can see the flooding coming towards the property, some homes flooded and next door didn’t for no apparent reason so it really hard to predict.
“In 2021 it rained for an hour and a half, people weren’t wading around in the water for days on end so it’s hard for people to quantify the magnitude of the threat. People may well be at risk and not know.”
Ground floor and basement flats are at particular risk of flooding the council has urged all its residents take stock of the grab bag scheme.
James added: “We understand not everyone may be able to put aside duplicates of everything but even if people just take note of a few items so they’re aware of what could be useful if they were faced with an emergency.”
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