We’ve all seen the heavy rainfall and heard the thunderstorms over the past couple of days. Such drastic weather like this can cause flooding. Whether it’s a minor or major inconvenience, over 3.5 million residential properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding.
Four common types of flood explained:
Coastal areas tend to be affected by large storms as they tend to have gathered pace over the ocean before reaching the coast. Extreme weather alongside high tides can cause sea levels to rise therefore resulting in coastal flooding. As global warming is increasing, coastal flooding is expected to become an increasingly sever problem. Luckily, West Yorkshire is situated inland and not on the coast.
This type of flood tends to be one of the most common types of flood inland; occurring when a river/lake exceeds its full capacity. High rainfall over a long period of time can cause rivers to “burst its bank”. This can cause serious damage to surrounding properties and pose a significant threat to communities. To prevent flooding, rivers need good defences, especially in flat or populated areas.
Flash flooding is caused by large amounts of water that can’t be absorbed by the ground quick enough due to how quickly the water falls. Usually, this type of flood will not last long however whilst it does last, they can be extremely fast and dangerous. Flash flooding can be prevented by good drainage systems.
This type of flooding takes time to occur as opposed to flash floods. When rainfall is continuous over a long period, the ground becomes saturated with water until it can’t hold anymore. Water will then rise to cause a flood. This type of flooding may last for weeks or months even!
As mentioned above, short periods of intense rainfall causes flash flooding whereas longer periods of heavy rainfall can cause overflowing rivers. The best thing to do is to keep up to date with notices from the Met Office as they work closely with the Environment Agency in England to forecast areas where flooding is likely to happen. Alongside local authorities, these organisations share responsibility in providing the best information during emergencies and can be contacted directly via a dedicated Floodline number: +44 (0) 345 988 1188.
According to the Met Office there are 3 steps to follow in a flood emergency:
Prepare: check flood warnings and prepare bags with medicines and insurance documents.
Act: make sure important items and furniture’s are moved upstairs or to safety. Turn off all gas, water and electricity and finally move all family, pets and cars to a safe place.
Survive: strictly follow advise from emergency services and call 999 if in immediate danger. Keep yourself and your family safe at all times.
Check out this Flood Plan PDF provided by the Environment Agency.
Check out more information here in regards to how to recover after a flood.
Protect yourself from floods
To reduce any damage to your property from floods it would be useful to lay tiles rather than carpets on your floors and moving electrical sockets higher up the walls so the water is less likely to reach. For further information on how to protect your property, check out the National Flood Forum.
Tanker Services
Metro Rod West Yorkshires vacuum tankers are an excellent method for flood water relief, providing quick removal of water and other debris. Suction is via a 4” hose and we can remove 2000 gallons of dirty water in a matter of minutes.
Flooding can cause many issues, mainly the deposit of silt in sewers and road gullies. The silt then settles preventing gullies and sewers draining effectively and efficiently. Combination tankers are an excellent method for relieving these issues, as not only can they remove silt from gullies via vacuum, they also offer the facility to flush through silted sewers and remove the silt, thus returning the sewer to a serviceable condition.
Emergency Response
Metro Rod West Yorkshire covers Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford providing expert drainage services 24-hours a day, 365 days a year! Our engineers are the most professional, trusted specialists in West Yorkshire, dedicated to providing a first-time fix and efficient service.
Pre-planned Maintenance
Metro Rod West Yorkshire carries out Pre-planned Maintenance (PPM) works for many different commercial clients. Keeping your drains well maintained is extremely important in reducing the chances of floods at your property. Introducing a pre-planned maintenance (PPM) plan will help save money long term and keep your drains free-flowing.
We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
Get in touch Drainage Services