In this episode of The Rising Waters Podcast, hosts Stephanie and Colin are joined by John and Joanne, residents of a village in North West Newcastle. Together, they discuss their experiences in forming a flood group, outlining the steps they took to get started. They emphasise the importance of understanding local flood risks and highlight the value of coming together as a community to complete training and exercises locally.

The .Gov website and The Flood Hub have all the resources you need to get started building your flood group, if you need a hand with any of these and you live in the North East, our Engagement Team can help you start, recruit and maintain any of the below.

Reach out to us here: Engagement_northeast@environment-agency.gov.uk.

How to form a Flood Group guide(PDF Download): A-Guide-to-Forming-a-Flood-Group.pdf

Community Flood Plan Guidance: Community flood plan - GOV.UK

Community Flood Plan Template: FT Q R114 - Community-flood-plan-and-blank-template

Actionable insights:

Forming a Flood Group

Guidance on how to form a local flood group and how doing so can improve community flood resilience. The conversation also takes a deep dive into the responsibilities of a local flood group, including training workshops provided by organisations such as the Environment Agency.

Preparing For Floods

Why creating a flood plan is essential and should be treated as an ‘evolving document’ that requires continuous updates and improvements to remain effective.

Understanding your Community

Understanding your community’s vulnerabilities, access routes, and demographics to ensure proper preparation and tailored responses to flooding incidents.

Establishing Clear Roles and Responsibilities

Ensuring that flood wardens, deputies, and other volunteers have clearly defined roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion during emergencies and how evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each group member can assist in effectively assigning roles within flood groups.

Leveraging Technology and Online Resources

How tools like river level monitoring websites and WhatsApp groups can improve awareness and communication within a flood group and why it’s important to identify and utilise the most relevant digital resources available.

Engaging the Community

How community events that unite residents and emergency responders encourage collaborative relationships and how infrequent events can lead to challenges in maintaining flood preparedness.