Storms and flooding. Prepare before the forecast changes.
The useful first question is local: what could disrupt this home, this journey and the people you support? Use official forecasts and warnings to guide the next step.
Start with the risks where you are.
A severe weather story elsewhere does not describe the risk at your address. Check your local forecast, flood-risk information and the advice of your council or local resilience partners. The government campaign links to flood information for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Make a short record of the services relevant to you. Include more than a bookmark: note the organisation’s name and what you would use it for. This makes it easier to find the right update and harder to mistake a general article for a local warning.
Use the forecast to organise everyday plans.
Before a forecast storm, review household charging, travel and contact arrangements. The Be Ready storm guidance also covers securing loose outdoor objects when it is safe to do so. Follow the original guidance and any advice specific to your property.
Think through the practical knock-on effects. Who would be affected if a school, workplace or usual route were unavailable? Which arrangements depend on someone being able to drive? Agree an alternative rather than relying on a single plan.
Make a flood plan if it is relevant to your home.
Official flooding guidance recommends planning ahead, arranging warnings and keeping important items and documents accessible. Decide how your household would follow an instruction to move to safety. Include anyone who may need assistance and the practical needs of pets.
Keep your plan focused on people and information before equipment. Our water bottles, tools and kit selections do not make a property flood-safe. Decisions about flood protection, utilities or building work need the appropriate official guidance and qualified advice.
Know which instructions take priority.
Follow local authorities and emergency services if you are told to evacuate. Never drive or walk through floodwater. If there is an immediate danger to life, call 999. These points are not a substitute for the current instructions issued for a particular incident.
A news feed is useful for reading about disruption and preparedness. It is not a reliable way to decide whether your road is safe or whether a warning is still in force. Open the relevant official warning service for those decisions.
Keep a practical follow-up list.
After making your plan, separate urgent arrangements from improvements you can consider later. Write down unanswered questions for a landlord, insurer, provider or local authority rather than guessing the answer.
Our guides can help you organise household supplies, charging and communications. Read them alongside official local information and check the source date of any article you share with someone else.
Sources & editorial notes
This is Be Readyford’s independent planning and shopping guidance. Sources were checked on 12 Nov 2026; use the official publisher for current instructions. Equipment links are shopping information, not medical advice.
Contains public-sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Government source material: © Crown copyright.
For immediate danger, call 999. Be Readyford is not an emergency alert service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK government.