Flood-proof your home: expert tips before UK winter storms — SkimNews
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- Mary Long-Dhonau of the Flood Mary campaign told the Guardian that cracked brickwork or crumbling mortar acts like "20 taps in your wall" during flooding, and recommended breathable waterproof sealant on external walls.
- Standard airbricks can admit thousands of litres of water per hour into a home, and Long-Dhonau urged owners of flood-risk properties to swap them for Kitemarked self-closing versions or seal them with flood/aluminium tape — which she called cheaper and more effective than sandbags.
- A deflated child's football pushed into the toilet, inflated and taped down with the seat serves as an emergency non-return valve to stop sewage backflow when a proper valve isn't installed, Long-Dhonau said.
- Permeable paving, rain gardens, water butts and water-thirsty plants can slow runoff into overwhelmed drains; Long-Dhonau noted even removing one or two paving slabs to plant can make a meaningful difference, and water butts can be emptied pre-storm for full capacity.
- Tracey Garrett, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, warned that climate change means "we cannot assume that the flooding patterns of the past will necessarily be the patterns of the future," intensifying the case for household preparation.
- Kelly Ostler-Coyle of the government-backed Flood Re reinsurance scheme said practical steps — including moving plug sockets higher and installing flood-resilient flooring — can save "thousands of pounds" and speed recovery.
- Community-level steps include signing up to council and Environment Agency flood alerts, joining or forming a local flood group, lobbying for permeable surfaces and tree planting, and identifying vulnerable neighbours for a street flood plan.
Why it matters: With the Environment Agency and National Flood Forum flagging intensifying rainfall and El Niño-driven storms this winter, UK households in at-risk areas face a narrow window to act. Flood Re's Ostler-Coyle estimates resilient flooring and similar measures can save thousands of pounds per property — a material saving stacked across millions of flood-exposed homes, even as experts stress government-level flood defence investment remains essential.
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