'Sign up to alerts' - Environment Agency's warning after floods hit in Somerset and Devon

  • Watch torrents of water run down village streets in Somerset and Devon


People are being urged to sign up to flood warnings after flooding destroyed homes in the South West.

A major incident was declared as homes were evacuated when heavy rain caused flash floods in Somerset and Devon on Tuesday 9 May.

Roads turned to rivers, with homes, pubs and even a school left submerged.

In a statement, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Heavy thundery showers have resulted in surface water flooding of several properties in parts of East Devon and Somerset overnight.

“We have field teams on the ground assisting the response and assessing the impacts of the flooding on our assets, monitoring river levels and checking flood defences and gates, and clearing trash screens.

“Showers have been forecast for the next two days but, as a precaution, we urge residents to sign up for flood warnings and continue to monitor the weather reports.

“There has also been widespread disruption to roads and travel across the area so please check the road situation before setting off on a journey.”

How to sign up to flood warnings

You can sign up to receive flood warnings on the Environment Agency's website. You’ll need to provide the address you want flood warnings for, an email address and a way to be contacted at any time of day or night - you can choose to get a call, text or email.