Flood-prone Nottinghamshire communities urged to sign up for council's signage scheme

The award-winning scheme means that trained members of the community are able to close roads during flood events to help prevent damage caused by bow waves and to promote road safety.

Nottinghamshire now has more than 500 registered volunteer flood signage wardens, 31 active signage schemes and a further 11 under development.

Since Storm Babet in October 2023 and Storm Henk in January 2024, the scheme has expanded significantly.

The scheme works by the council’s flood risk management team supporting volunteers to agree trigger points which, once met, will result in trained volunteers from the community setting out a road closure.

Examples of these trigger points are flood water levels reaching a set marker or a road becoming submerged to top of kerb level.

Volunteers are fully trained and as, part of this, the council works with Via East Midlands and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to give volunteers risk control and water safety training.

Volunteers also have access to personal protective equipment, signage equipment, online refresher training and in person training events to bring all volunteers together to share knowledge and experience.

Any communities interested in becoming a part of this are asked to contact the council at [email protected].

For more information, visit nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/flooding-help-and-advice/schemes-to-help-reduce-flooding?utm_campaign=

The council has also stressed to all Nottinghamshire residents the importance of knowing the flood risk in their area so they can protect themselved should flooding hit their community.

Again, this has become all the more important following the devasting floods that hit the county last year when Storm Babet battered the country and then again when Storm Henk hit at the start of this year.

The Government website has a flood risk checker where you can check your long term flood risk and view maps of the risk from different sources at gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk?utm_campaign.

To help you prepare for flooding, the council also has its own flooding help and advice pages on its website at nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/flooding-help-and-advice?_gl which include information on preparing for a flood, what to do during a flood and things to remember after a flood.