How we prepare for flooding

  • we receive information from the Met Office, the Environment Agency and the Flood Forecasting Centre
  • we get together with other agencies across Greater Manchester to make sure we are as prepared as possible
  • we put in place a flood plan

Home insurance

If you live in an area of flood risk make sure you have the correct home insurance cover in case your property floods. The cost of recovery after a flood is on average £20,000. The Flood Re website has been set up to help those households who live in a flood risk area to find affordable home insurance.

Sign up for flood warnings

Sign up online to get warnings in England by phone, email or text message if your home or business is at risk of flooding. The service is free.

Or you can register by contacting Floodline on Telephone: 0345 988 1188
(24-hour service)

Flood warnings

If you live in a flood risk area, the Environment Agency may have issued you with flooding guidelines. These are the stages of flood warnings as issued by the agency:

  1. Flood Alert: flooding is possible, be prepared
  2. Flood Warning: flooding is expected, immediate action required
  3. Severe Flood Warning: severe flooding, danger to life
  4. All clear: an all clear will be issued when flood watches or warnings are no longer in force. Flood water levels receding. Check all is safe to return. Seek advice.

In the event of a flood, check the council's Twitter and Facebook pages for the latest information and advice.

A flood in your home may be caused by various sources

  • Burst water pipes
  • Flooding during heavy storms causing overloading of sewers or drains
  • Overland flooding due to high water table or more likely due to overloaded rivers and streams
  • Flooding due to failure of tanks and reservoirs is unlikely

Be prepared in case of flooding

  • Prepare a flood kit containing essential items and important contact numbers
  • Move valuable items to a safe place
  • Check insurance cover
  • Know how to turn off gas, water, electricity supplies

More flood advice here: https://www.bolton.gov.uk/downloads/file/3254/what-to-do-before-during-and-after-a-flood

What to do in the event of a flood

  • Gather essential items & move family & pets upstairs or to a high place with a means of escape
  • Turn off gas, electricity & water supplies if safe to do so & before water enters your home
  • Check local updates
  • Call 999 if in immediate danger

The Flood Hub

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. They have pulled together multiple sources of guidance to produce a hub of information that gives an overview of flood resilience and it’s many related topics. By signposting a variety of other useful sources, you will easily be able to find all the information you need either within the content of the site or by visiting one of their linked websites.

The Flood Hub website has been funded by the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC).

Flood advice for businesses

For further help and information please see the downloads section