Open up the toolkit to avoid the floods
Help is at hand for anyone in Oxfordshire wanting to take action to safeguard their homes or businesses against the effects of flooding.
A new online “toolkit” has been launched by Oxfordshire County Council which promises to provide a “one-stop-shop” for flooding information and advice.
The new website, which can be found at www.oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com brings together all the information needed to take action against the potential menace posed by flooding.
First of its kind in Oxfordshire
The flood toolkit is the first resource of its kind in Oxfordshire and builds on the success of the approach in Northamptonshire. The website is also supported financially by Oxford City Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council and Thames Water.
How to guides
Visitors to the site can browse through information helpfully organised under headings such as “Am I at Risk” and learn how best to help themselves through a series of “How to” guides.
The toolkit also explains the different types of flooding that can occur with bespoke guides on how to deal with them and, for those responsible for things such as drains and streams running across their land, guides on how to carry out preventative maintenance.
Interactive illustrations give visual inspiration for ways people can protect their properties and highlight some of the areas that would not instantly spring to mind, such as the garage, air bricks and cable holes.
Preventing the worst effects of flooding
County Councillor Rodney Rose, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The county council is the lead local flood authority for Oxfordshire which means that we have taken the idea of the flood toolkit seriously, and we are delighted with the support we have had from our partners.
“Knowledge and preparation is the key to preventing the worst effects of flooding.
“There is much that can be done to plan for and deal with flooding so that it affects you as little as possible Doing your research and taking action now is far more effective and preferable to clearing up afterwards.
“I would urge people to look at the site now. Even just doing one or two of the things shown on the site such as signing up to a flood alert could make a big difference, but I would suggest people sit down and take some time to go through the toolkit and see just how much they could do to help themselves.
“The county council and partner agencies are playing their part to reduce the impact of flooding through developing and maintaining new and existing infrastructure. But that is only part of the picture – self-help is also needed.
“Flooding can devastate homes and disrupt lives as well as have a real impact on businesses and communities. The benefits of having a plan can’t be stressed enough and so the value of the new Flood Toolkit can’t be emphasised enough.”
Find funding and teach the children
Other useful features on the toolkit site include links that could help secure funding for flood related projects and an educational pack for schools.