Flood Action Week: How Prepared Are We?
Estimated reading time 4 minutes
This week marks Flood Action Week – an annual Environment Agency initiative encouraging communities across England to take simple, proactive steps to prepare for flooding. Running from 13–19 October 2025, the campaign highlights how climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of flood events across the UK, and calls on households, businesses, and local authorities to act now before winter weather sets in.
Why Flood Action Week Matters
Around 6.3 million homes and businesses in England are located in areas at risk from rivers, the sea, or surface water. Yet nearly half of residents have never checked their property’s flood risk. The aim of Flood Action Week is to close that gap — turning awareness into action.
Flooding is not only a physical hazard but also a long-lasting emotional and financial burden. The Environment Agency’s Deputy Director for Capabilities and Engagement, Mark Garratt, described meeting families whose children remain anxious months after their home was flooded — “whenever it rains, they’re afraid, not wanting to go to school”.
From Awareness to Action
The campaign’s message is clear: don’t be complacent. Even after a dry summer, flood risk remains high. The Environment Agency and Defra are urging everyone to take a few simple, low-cost steps to improve preparedness:
- Check your flood risk – by searching “prepare for flooding” on GOV.UK to view your local flood map and find guidance for your home or business.
- Sign up for flood warnings – receive free alerts that can provide vital extra time to protect people, pets, and property.
- Make a flood plan – knowing how to respond before a flood happens can save lives and limit damage.
- Create a flood kit – with essentials such as a torch, warm clothes, first aid supplies, and important documents in waterproof packaging.
- Consider property-level resilience – non-return valves, flood-resistant doors, or raised electrical points can all help homes recover faster.
Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme, for example, supports property owners to include up to £10,000 of flood resilience measures when repairing their homes after a flood.
National Preparedness and Investment
The campaign also draws attention to major national efforts. The UK government and Environment Agency are investing £2.65 billion by 2026 to strengthen and expand flood defences across England, with more than 150 flood schemes already delivered since July 2024. The Agency also maintains a rapid-response capability with 260 mobile pumps, 25km of temporary barriers, and 600 personnel on call at any one time.
As Floods Minister Emma Hardy MP noted, “This Flood Action Week, the public and business owners should play their part by checking their flood risk, signing up for flood warnings and having a flood plan. This will help to keep them and their loved ones safe and reduce the devastation flooding can cause.”
Unda’s View
At Unda, we strongly support the aims of Flood Action Week. Preparedness is the cornerstone of effective flood risk management — not just through large-scale defences, but through community awareness and property-level action.
Our team works across the country providing Flood Risk Assessments that help developers and property owners understand, mitigate, and manage flood hazards in line with Environment Agency guidance. We also design and review Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) that reduce surface water impacts and support planning condition discharge — key to building long-term resilience into new and existing developments.
Flooding cannot be prevented entirely, but its impacts can be significantly reduced when people are informed, equipped, and ready to respond. Whether you live by a river, near the coast, or in an urban area vulnerable to surface water, understanding your risk and planning ahead keeps you one step ahead of the next storm — and our FRA and SuDS specialists are here to support that process every step of the way.
One of our experienced Flood Risk Consultants will get back to you within 60 minutes