Accidents, Emergencies and Safety

We will monitor flood levels along with the Environment Agency which provides regular updates on its Floodline service. We will keep an eye on roads and houses where we anticipate flooding will occur.

Do not under any circumstances be tempted to enter flood water. The flow of a swollen river along with its under-current can be very powerful. Flood water may contain raw sewage which can lead to health problems.

You can get the latest information on flooding in Worcester at:

• Environment Agency, for details of flood alerts and warnings (where you can sign up  for flood warning alerts)
• Worcestershire County Council, for information on local roads affected
• Met Office, for latest weather forecasts
• For live updates, follow @myworcester on X / Twitter. You need to be logged in to X / Twitter to see live updates.

During flooding

• Keep calm, if you are in danger dial 999 and/or attract attention of people nearby
• Turn off water, gas and electricity supplies at the first sign of flooding in your property
• If trapped, remain near a window where you can be seen
• If the Emergency Services are on the scene, follow their instructions
• Be prepared, you may need to be evacuated
• Do not enter flood waters as depth and current can be deceiving. Just 6 inches (15mm) of flood water can knock an adult off their feet. The flood waters may also be contaminated with sewage and there may be hidden dangers
• Move your family, pets an valuables upstairs or to higher ground if threatened by floods

After the flood

• Contact your insurer
• Do not switch on gas or electricity until it is checked by a professional
• Assume flood water contains sewage
• Do not use food that has been in contact with flood water
• Always wear waterproof gloves when handling soiled items, and always wash your hands if you touch anything soiled by the flood water
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all items soiled by flood water

Support for residents and businesses

Financial support for residents and businesses who had water come into their homes or premises in the October and November 2024 floods is being provided by Worcestershire County Council. Affected residents and businesses will be contacted directly.

Further information on flooding

• The Environment Agency provide comprehensive information on flooding and flooding related issues. Please visit their website for guidance.
• Checking traffic - When traffic has to be diverted the Highways Department will organise closures and alternative routes. Worcestershire Highways will pass on all traffic news via X / Twitter at @WorcsTravel and local radio stations, so please tune in.
• A place to rest - We will provide emergency rest centre accommodation if you have to evacuate your home and we will work with the Police to help you move. We will help place vulnerable people in temporary accommodation if required. Please think ahead and contact the Council for advice on 01905 722233.
• Bin collections - Bin crews may not be able to reach some properties during a flood incident. If your bin is missed, report it here.
• Car parks - Some car parks close to the river may need to close at times of flood. Information on car park sites.
• Cleaning up - The City Council and Worcestershire Highways will work to clean up the highways and get them back into use as soon as the flooding has receded.
• UK Health Security Agency - Flood: health guidance and advice
• Sandbags are not provided by Worcester City Council because they are not an effective form of flood alleviation. Our recommended approach for flood alleviation is through alterations to homes such as raising floors and the installation of barriers. 

National Flood Forum

The National Flood Forum is a national charity dedicated to supporting and representing communities and individuals at risk of flooding. They do this by:

1. Helping people to prepare for flooding in order to prevent it or mitigate its impacts
2. Helping people to recover their lives once they have been flooded
3. Campaigning on behalf of flood risk communities and working with government and agencies to ensure that they develop a community perspective.

Useful contact numbers

Floodline (The Environment Agency):  0345 988 1188

West Mercia Police: 101

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service: 033 33 990043

Severn Trent Water: 0800 783 4444

Please tune into local radio for regular updates

• BBC Hereford & Worcester 94.7, 104 or 104.6 FM; DAB; 720 Freeview; listen online
• Hits Radio 102.8 FM; 12A DAB; listen online
• Radio Wyvern 106.7 FM; 12A DAB; listen online

Useful Information

• pdf Environment Agency - What to do before, during and after a flood PDF (854 KB)

It is intended that the Plan is flexible enough to enable the City to respond to a variety of situations. The required strengths of the response will necessitate regular updating of the component Functional Plans and other functionally orientated hazard specific plans.

The objectives of the Plan are to be achieved by:-

• Advance planning necessary to identify the impact of potential incidents
• Development of procedures and information compiled and maintained in readiness for use in the event of a major emergency; and
• Thorough comprehensive training, testing and maintenance of the Plan.

Civil emergencies will be regarded as situations which can arise with or without warning and are likely to cause death, injury, damage to property, environmental pollution or serious disruption to normal life, requiring the special mobilisation and organisation of public services.

The operation of the Plan will be activated by the declaration of the existence of a civil emergency by:-

• the local Police
• the local Fire Brigade
• the County Council's Emergency Planning Duty Officer
• the City Council's Managing Director or his Deputy
• other Districts or County Councils, the Environment Agency, an NHS Trust, the Met Office or the privatised utilities.

Upon activation of the Plan, the City Council's Coordinating Team will convene to co-ordinate and manage an appropriate response having regard to the specific conditions of the situation.

A log will be kept of all events, decisions and actions for subsequent de-briefing to monitor the effectiveness of the Plan.

When the emergency itself is over, the City Council's Recovery Team will convene. The Team will focus on the long term implications and remedial actions and will be comprised of managers of certain sections of the organisation who can lend particular specialist skills. Emergency accommodation and rest centres will be managed by the Coordinating Team.

The Coordinating Team will be responsible for close liaison with the County Emergency Planning Unit and for the maintenance of all internal and external communications during an emergency, including the co-ordination and administration of media services, meeting arrangements, information collection and dissemination, and the co-ordination of VIP visits.

Elected Members will provide community leadership and it may be appropriate for them to present the public face of the Council's response through media interviews and briefings.

Will my business qualify for a reduction in Rates?

Any business premises affected by flood damage to such an extent that the premises are no longer occupied will qualify for 100% relief for a minimum of 3 months, or until the business is able to resume trading from the property if longer, up to state aid de minimis, for those properties which meet the following criteria;

For any day:

• The business premises was directly impacted by the relevant weather event – for instance flood damage to the property, equipment, and/or stock: or: the business could not function due to lack of access to premises, equipment and/or stock as a result of the relevant weather event, and no alternatives were available

AND

• On that day business activity undertaken at the business premises was adversely affected as a result: and
• On that day the rateable value of the property was less than £10 million

Empty Properties

The scheme does not cover relief for any business premises which was empty at the time it was flooded as there was no business activity on the premises at the time. Where a business premises becomes empty after the flood then it will receive the normal 3 or 6 months (as applicable) empty property rate free period or will continue to receive the balance of the flooding relief

Can I have my rateable value reduced?

If you believe that the rateable value of your premises should be reduced you should discuss this with the Valuation Office. Their general advice is that while flooding will not automatically mean a reduction, individual circumstances will apply and you should contact them as quickly as possible.

More information can be found at www.gov.uk.

Can my property be removed from the valuation list while repairs are on-going?

Any further queries in regards to removing a property from the valuation list will need to be queried directly with the Valuation Office Agency.

For more information contact:

Telephone: 03004 560 560

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Relevant links

Below is a list of links relating to the content on this page:

• West Mercia Local Resilience Forum
• Community Risk Register