March 2010 - Adobe PDF - Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

10
news
Environment
<strong>Stockton</strong>
and Housing
Flood Warning!
More than five million
people in England and
Wales live or work in
properties at risk of
flooding from rivers or
the sea.
Within the <strong>Stockton</strong>
Borough, Seal Sands,
Lustrum Beck, Yarm and
Port Clarence are some of
the areas identified by the
Environment Agency as
being liable to flooding and
the Council is encouraging
people to take precautions
and sign up to a free early
warning system.
Richard McGuckin, the
Council’s Acting Head of
Technical Services, said:
“During the major floods of
2007, 5,000 properties were
flooded in England, with
around 7,000 people being
rescued by the emergency
services. Worse still, thirteen
people sadly died.
“Of course, we’re doing
everything we can to avoid
our residents being flooded
but the fact is we can’t
control the elements. We
need all residents who may
be at risk to register for
the alert system. At the
moment only 47 per cent of
those who are potentially at
risk from flooding in Yarm
have registered, leaving
more than 400 properties
unregistered and at risk.”
To check if your home,
workplace or vulnerable
(elderly/frail) friends or
relatives are at risk visit
the Environment Agency’s
website http://www.
environment-agency.gov.
uk/flood or speak to an
operator on 08459881188
(Typetalk 0845 602 6340).
If you are at risk, sign up
for “flood warnings direct”
a free service run by the
Environment Agency to
warn people of impending
floods.