More than half (54%) of UK drivers would endanger themselves and their vehicles by driving through moving flood water; according to a joint Environment Agency and AA survey. The research also revealed that more than a quarter (27%) of respondents would drive through moving flood water deeper than 30cm, (which is enough to move a car). The EA and the AA strongly advise not entering flood water that is moving or water more than 10cm deep.
and those living in North East England would attempt to drive through deeper water (up to 34cm) than anywhere else in the UK.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/default.aspx or call Floodline on 0845 988 1188.
A joint appeal from the Police and Coastguard: ‘Do not enter the sea during bad weather’.
HM Coastguard advises that those who enjoy walking on beaches and rocky areas stay away from the surf line during this period of extreme weather and ensure that children and pets do likewise. Large waves can easily take people by surprise and the force of the waves is significant. Dogs should be kept on leads if walking along cliff tops.
Drought could make any flooding worse, warns Environment Agency. The Environment Agency has warned today that drought conditions can increase the risk of flash flooding. Dry, compacted soils mean that water is less easily absorbed into the ground, and so any future storms could lead to a greater risk of flash flooding.
The Environment Agency’s warning comes on the day that the world’s first social media flood warning application has been launched on Facebook.
‘FloodAlerts’ is a free to use application and was created and developed by a leading software developer specialising in online mapping and data visualisation solutions.