The British Red Cross have said there are "simple steps" everyone can take to prepare for flooding – including organising emergency kits for the home and car which includes items like bottled water, contact numbers, spare blankets and warm clothes.
Thousands of advice leaflets are being distributed across the country and useful tips can also be found on The British Red Cross website. The move comes after heavy deluges of rain caused flash flooding in some places at the weekend, with Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire the worst affected.
Bournemouth received the most rainfall in the UK, with 30mm falling in just 24 hours from 5pm on Saturday.
Parts of south Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire were also drenched during the severe downpour. Plymouth recorded 23mm of rainfall during the period.
As reported in the Western Daily Press yesterday, the Environment Agency has stepped up a national flood awareness campaign as large parts of England, including areas of the South West, remain on flood alert.
There were seven flood warnings in place in areas of the South West, East Anglia and the Midlands yesterday, while 54 flood alerts are in place for areas across the country where the threat is less serious.
One in six properties is at risk of flooding in England and Wales but the latest Environment Agency figures reveal only 45 per cent of people in a flood risk area are aware of the dangers. The agency has released a flooding flash mob video online to increase awareness and encourage people to sign up to receive Environment Agency flood warnings by email, text or a message to a landline or mobile phone.
This summer over 100,000 households were warned of potential flooding through the free messaging service.
