Protecting your possessions

Garages and gardens

• Floodwater may get into your garage and damage your car. If safe to do so, move it to higher ground.
  
  
• Weigh down any manhole covers on the property with sandbags or a heavy object. If they lift up during a flood, the drain may be left open which will create a hazard.
  
  
• Close off the flow valves on propane tanks, oil drums or other fuel containers that supply the home through pipes and fittings.
  
  
• Work with your neighbours to make your flood protection measures more effective. This is particularly important if your home is part of a terrace or is semi-detached, as water can come through adjoining walls.
  
  
• Move anything kept outside and not fixed to the ground to a safer location. For example, move dustbins, garden chemicals or car oils to a garage or shed.
  
  
• You may not be able to prevent floodwater entering your garden. Walls and fences are not normally waterproof and water may pass underneath below ground. Some plants may suffer from prolonged floods but can usually be replaced: time is better spent protecting your home and its contents.

Gas, electricity and water

• Turn off gas, electricity and water supplies at the mains – find out now if you don’t know where they are. Cookers, washing machines and dishwashers connected by rigid pipes to gas and water supplies should be disconnected. This will prevent damage to the pipes if they move or float during a flood.

Furniture and household appliances:

• Wherever possible, move furniture, electrical appliances, carpets and rugs upstairs. Empty furniture that cannot be moved and take the contents upstairs. See if you can raise the item above floor level using bricks or blocks – this may be particularly helpful for larger appliances such as fridge-freezers. Move furniture away from walls, as this helps with drying the property later.
  
  
• If items of furniture cannot be moved, weigh them down with a heavy object or sack and tie them together. If the flood is severe this will stop furniture floating around and causing damage such as broken windows.
  
  
• If there is no time to remove curtains, hang them up over the curtain rods so that they are kept above the floodwater.

Drains, toilets and other outlets:

• Floodwater can enter through drains, toilets and other outlets such as washing machines. The simplest way to prevent this is by putting plugs into sinks and baths and weighing them down with a sandbag or other heavy object. Place a sandbag in the toilet bowl and block the washing machine drain with a suitable plug (e.g. cloth or towel) to prevent back flow.

Foodstuffs and chemicals:

• Floodwater can contaminate foodstuffs and chemicals such as paints, garden pesticides and household cleaning products. Similarly they may spill or leak into the floodwater, causing additional cleaning up problems. Store any materials like this in the upper part of your home, garage or garden shed.

Personal items:

• You cannot replace sentimental items. If a flood is on the way, you may forget to move them to a safe place. So think about keeping them upstairs or somewhere high up in your property on a permanent basis.
  
  
• Personal documents, insurance and bank details and essential contact telephone numbers should be collected and kept in polythene bags. Think about storing them NOW in a place safe from floodwater.