Message from Linda Clow, Flood Warden
Following on from the meeting on 10th February, I would like to summarise discussions and current planning. This is a long post but an important one, so please bear with me.
There will be two parts and will be dealt with concurrently.
1. Badby Flood Contingency Planning
This involves drawing up a contingency plan clearly detailing who does what, when and how. It will be designed to be a useful document available to anyone in the village and will be applicable to any part of the village that needs it.
Links will be posted on the FB page and BPC website. Copies can be emailed to individuals on request and hard copies provided if need be.
The main areas to be covered will include the following:
- List of emergency contact numbers
- List of less able-bodied residents who need help preparing for and helping after any flooding incident
- List of volunteers from the village
- List of arrangements if worst case scenario means evacuation.
- List of equipment available for an emergency.
These are the main areas that cover most contingencies, but others may be added as we work through the process.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
- Residents who need help need to let me know so that we have details of who to look after.
- For this to work, we will need volunteers – the more the better. In the first instance, it may be able bodied people able to go and help deploy sandbags etc if a flood alert is called. It will also involve helping any less abled to clear up afterwards should there be flood damage. We are also considering a “Buddy” system whereby a volunteer can get to know the person they will be helping before the event and vice versa.
- It will also mean people prepared to assist providing teas / coffees etc if people need to leave their homes. We are currently talking to the various organisations in the village, and more will be shared once that is finalised, but for now, volunteers prepared to make the commitment to help are the most needed.
We need to have a list of assets available in the community that owners are prepared to loan in the event of a flood.
- Pumps (and wet vacs for smaller floods)
- Dehumidifiers
- Generator(s) in the event the power is out throughout the village.
Badby Parish council will also be providing sandbags to any resident that needs them, but we need you to tell us how many you require.
As far as protection for your own property is concerned, we would urge you to read the wealth of information that is available on the WNC website if you have not already done so. Links will be at the end of this message.
You should also sign up for flood alerts if you have not already done so,
2. Future actions to aid prevention.
This is at a very early stage and fact finding / information gathering is happening now. We are working with Newnham PC who are on the same journey, and we believe that a joint effort will have more impact on the authorities.
Our aim is to get the rivers and tributaries cleared, both in the water and on the banks but it will take a while.
We will keep you all updated on progress in due course.
For now, though, can anyone able to answer any of the above requests please email me and signal their intent. I will then contact individuals once it has all been collated. Without that information, this initiative will not work, so we are really relying on our community to help build this resilience.
My email is Floodwarden@badby-pc.gov.uk
West Northants info can be found on https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/flood-resilience
Sign up for flood warnings by going to https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings