For the latest version of this update, visit www.somersetnewsroom.com

For latest weather forecasts, visit the Met Office www.metoffice.gov.uk

For flood warnings, visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk or call 0345 988 1188.

 Latest news

Environment Agency update

Disposing of waste left by flood water. A large range of waste material and debris can be left behind by flood water. Please don’t tip it back into the rivers. It can block up outfalls and smaller watercourses and cause other flooding. There are different options for getting rid of it through authorised routes such as Somerset Waste Partnership or a private contractor (if you own a business). More information on getting rid of waste is available on the Somerset Waste Partnership website: http://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/collections/bad-weather/

High tides. High tides are predicted over the next few days. At present the levels forecast are expected to be lower than the tides earlier this year. We are keeping a very close eye on weather patterns for Sunday and Monday in particular, when the tides reach their highest points. We will be working over the weekend to keep analysing the highest tides alongside the most up to date weather conditions so that we are well informed about the possible impact.  Precautionary temporary defences are being erected at BlakeGardens in Bridgwater, and in Burrowbridge.

Temporary track way at Northmoor. The Environment Agency (EA) track way has been constructed with the permission of a local landowner. It was constructed for EA use to access the local pumping station and allow the EA to reach the area where local properties on Northmoor and Moorland are being protected from flooding. It is not intended for general public access.

Flood Assistance Centre
A Flood Assistance Centre is open at the Bridgwater YMCA on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2pm until 8pm, and Saturdays, from 10am until 4pm.

The centre offers a range of services and advice for people affected by, or who are likely to be, affected by flooding.

The centre offers access to:

• Practical advice and support, including information regarding Insurance matters, benefits, housing issues and link to local authority services. 
• Information regarding financial support and grants.
• Help with transport needs.
• Advice and support about personal wellbeing, including services for people needing support with anxiety and distress.
• Social care services, including information regarding mobility issues.
• Information about flood related issues, including animal welfare.
• Plus the Somerset Waste Partnership will be at the centre on Thursday 6 March to give advice on how to dispose of sandbags and flood damaged furniture etc.

 A crèche will be available for children whilst parents discuss their issues at the centre.

Taunton Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) at Burrowbridge
Advisers from the Taunton CAB will be at the old school in Burrowbridge on Monday and Friday from 10am to 3pm and on Wednesdays from 1pm to 6pm.

Public health
Public Health England have published advice on how to clean up your home safely after the floods, health advice on being in a flooded area and mental health advice, visit: www.hpa.org.uk

Advice for pet owners
The risk of disease to pets and livestock from floodwater is considered to be low because of the significant dilution. There has been no evidence of an increased disease risk to pets following floods in recent years.
There are some simple precautions you can take to reduce the risk of disease to your pet:
• Pet owners are advised to prevent their pets from accessing any areas of garden affected by sewage spill.
• Residents should clean-up and safely dispose of any visible gross contamination to eliminate germs and take sensible hygiene precautions to protect themselves.
• If pets show any signs of ill health, owners should seek the advice of their veterinary surgeon as soon as possible.

Weekend
Please note that we do not plan to send out a community update over the weekend unless we have an urgent message. The next community update will go out on Monday.

General advice and support

Evacuating your home

Taking the decision to evacuate your home when it’s flooded is understandably hard. But personal safety is paramount.

If your home is flooded – without power supplies or working toilets – then that’s the time to go, and you can be assured there’s help available to ensure you can leave safely, find accommodation and even return to pick up prized possessions.

If you are leaving your property and you are connected to a domestic supply of LPG (orange metal gas cylinders) we recommend that you isolate the supply by disconnecting any cylinders in use at your property.

Take care when the waters recede

After being flooded, remember not to turn on gas or electrics until they have been checked by a qualified technician.

Members of the community affected by the flood waters are advised to contact their insurance companies who can support them after the flood waters recede.

If you have decided to evacuate your property, or have moved back in, please keep your District Council updated on your movements wherever possible. This helps keep people safe and protect properties. Contact details are at the bottom of this newsletter.

Guidance on how to recover from flooding

Public Health England has added another document to their flooding guidance catalogue, aimed at helping public health professionals in the recovery phase after flooding. The document, ‘Guidance on recovery from flooding: essential information for frontline responders’, is now available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/EmergencyResponse/ExtremeWeatherEventsAndNaturalDisasters/EffectsOfFlooding/.

Sandbags

To request sandbags please contact Sedgemoor, Taunton Deane or South Somerset district councils using the contact details at the end of this update.

Handling sandbags – general advice

It you are involved in making or emptying sandbags, please make sure you are wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, including gloves and steel toecap footwear. If the sand is dry, it is advisable to also wear safety glasses.

Can you reuse sandbags?

Technically, sandbags can be re-used if emptied and dried out, but ideally, you should not re-used them unless you absolutely have to. If sandbags have come in contact with flood water they may be contaminated with untreated waste, chemicals, oil and gasoline, which could also contaminate other materials.

Welfare, benefits and Environmental Health information

This is provided for residents and businesses by district councils. They can give you help and advice around, temporarily homelessness, Council Tax reduction, housing benefits, business rates relief and Environmental Health services, such as dealing with septic tanks. Please use the contact details at the end of this update.

Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) refuse collections:  

Moorland / Fordgate – Working with local people and other agencies, SWP hopes to make weekly collections of refuse from Moorland and Fordgate. A central collection point has been established at Henry House, with refuse collected inside the floods on Wednesday, transported through the floods, and bins returned on Thursday.

Burrowbridge – Due to the impact of flooding on road access, SWP has split collections from Burrowbridge and, working with local people and other agencies, informed all residents. For some accessible properties, the collections remain on Wednesday as before; for others, the collection day has been changed to Thursday. Recycling will be collected this week, refuse and recycling next week (w/c 24/2). Subject to any further flooding or road closures, collections will continue on this schedule until the situation improves. Anyone in Burrowbridge who needs more information about their collection should contact the Parish Council or Taunton Deane Borough Council.

Muchelney – Working with local people and the Red Cross, SWP expects to make weekly collections of refuse from the corner of Silver Street, Muchelney, at 2pm on Thursday, subject to any further flooding or road closures. Anyone in Muchelney and Thorney who needs more information about the collection should contact the parish chair, Alastair Mullineux, or village agent, Carolyn Roche.

Somerset Waste Partnership flood recovery advice for waste:

Contact your insurer: If you have been flooded, contact your insurance company and follow their advice. They should arrange or pay for removal of all flood-damaged items (such as with skips); do not dispose of them in your kerbside refuse bin.

Waste containers and special collections: When you have returned to your property and it is accessible to our vehicles, please let Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) know if you need replacement waste containers, and if you usually have, or now need, a clinical or assisted collection.

Food: If usual recycling collections are taking place, waste or flood-damaged food from fridges, freezers and cupboards – with packaging removed – can be added to your food waste recycling container for the next collection. If the food waste recycling container is full, recycling collections have not restarted but usual or emergency refuse collections are taking place, food (with or without packaging) may be placed in black sacks – ideally double bagged – and put in your refuse bin, or added to the “cannot be recycled” skip at a recycling centre. All usual care must be taken over handling food, but extra care must be taken in dealing with food for recycling or disposal that has come into contact with flood water, including washing hands carefully.

Dead animals: If you find small dead animals – rabbit, rat, mouse etc – on your property, please double bag them in black sacks and add this to your refuse bin. For larger animals – fox, badger etc – contact the district council.

Sandbags: You should consider storing sandbags by stacking them on your drive or patio, just in case there is further flooding in the future. If you do need to dispose of them do not put sandbags or their contents in your kerbside refuse bin. If you have a skip for flood-damaged items, sandbags can be added to that. They can also be taken to your nearest Recycling Centre. Otherwise, contact your local Council for assistance to move or remove sandbags on private property. Sandbags on public land, alongside watercourses or put into position by the Environment Agency should not be moved. If sandbags are an immediate significant problem, contact the EA, the district council, or whichever other agency put the sandbags in position.

Waste removal services: Whether funded by yourself or your insurance company, take care to avoid rogue clear-up and removal services that will fly-tip your waste. You have a legal duty of care over your waste, even after it leaves your home. If someone offers to take away waste, ask to see their “waste carrier licence”, and check where your waste will go. You can call 03708 506 506 to find if a business has a licence, or look them up online by searching for “public registers” at www.environment-agency.gov.uk. If you use a removal service, record the name, phone and vehicle registration number.

(This advice is for private householders; businesses must check with insurers or use commercial services to remove waste.)

Transport Arrangements:

Muchelney – Two 4×4 vehicles, operated by the County Council’s highway contractor, Skanska, have taken over from the Unimog vehicles. The transport schedule will remain unchanged until the flood water recedes.

Huntworth to Moorland – An ATV is transporting people and supplies along this route. There is no timetable as this is a shuttle service responding to local requests, 5am to 12pm.

Oath – A third All-Terrain vehicle has arrived in Somerset and will be running in Oath between 5am 12pm. We will be working with the community to tailor the service to their needs.

Transport for residents to get flood help

A minibus has been arranged to take people to and from the SCC/FLAG HQ at the old school in Burrowbridge, the Flood Assistance Centre at the YMCA in Bridgwater and Junction 24 Donations Centre in Bridgwater. The minibus will start tomorrow and the timetables will be:

On Tuesdays and Thursdays will be:

Departs 13.30: from Burrowbridge Help HQ to Donation Centre, HuntworthBusinessPark (Somerfield warehouse behind motorway service)

Departs 15.00: from Donation Centre, HuntworthBusinessPark (Somerfield warehouse behind motorway service) to YMCA, Bridgwater

Departs 17:00: from YMCA, Bridgwater to Burrowbridge Help HQ

On Saturdays the timetable will be:

Departs 09:45: from Burrowbridge Help HQ to Donation Centre, HuntworthBusinessPark (Somerfield warehouse behind motorway service)

Departs 11:30: from Donation Centre, HuntworthBusinessPark (Somerfield warehouse behind motorway service) to YMCA, Bridgwater

Departs 14:00: from YMCA, Bridgwater to Burrowbridge Help HQ

Information Points

• Community Contact Vehicles (mobile police stations) are operating in Burrowbridge and Moorland.
• South Somerset residents can visit Langport Information Centre, Bow Street, for advice and information. Opening times: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 2pm, for help with district council services. A home visit will be arranged for people who can’t get to an office. Contact details at the end of this update, including details of other local community offices.
• Weekly flooding surgeries are taking place at the Canalside Conference Centre, Marsh Lane, Bridgwater, for the next four Wednesdays, 6-8pm. Residents can talk one-to-one to representatives from the organisations providing help and support during the flood. The first surgery attracted more than 200 people. For further information please phone (01278) 435423.
• Flooding Assistance Centre is open from Saturday 22 February at Bridgwater YMCA. The centre will offer a range of services and advice for people affected by, or who are likely to be, affected by flooding. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2pm until 8pm, and Saturdays, from 10am until 4pm.
• Somerset County Council (SCC) is now working alongside the Flooding on the Levels Action Group (FLAG) from a new base at the old BurrowbridgeSchool. The centre will be run by council staff and FLAG volunteers seven days a week offering support to the local community. Flood affected residents can pop in between 9am to 5pm to request help, services (fuel, animal feed etc).

Getting around

You can view a map of the roads affected by flooding in the Somerset Levels and Moors online on the Somerset Council’s newsroom at http://somersetnewsroom.com (see the latest information section). You can also find all the latest information on SCC services, which have been affected by flooding or bad weather, and copies of the Community Updates.  

New laundry facilities:

If you need to wash and dry any laundry, a new washing machine and tumble dryer has been installed at the FLAG/SCC HQ. These are both available free of charge, on a first come, first served basis for any residents affected by flooding. Thanks to generous donations, washing powder is also available. The HQ is open daily from 9.00am to 5.30pm.

Internet access:

Internet access is also available free of charge for residents affected by flooding to use at the FLAG/SCC HQ, again on a first come first served basis. This is ideal for sourcing essential flood related information, paying bills or completing necessary forms. Staff will be on hand to help guide you during opening hours, 9am to 5.30pm.

Fuel charges

The local authority has arranged the delivery of fuel (logs, coal, oil etc) to residents. A record is being kept of who gets what fuel delivered but payment is not being asked for on delivery. We will bill later, but can assure residents the charges will not exceed the normal cost for delivery. You should arrange fuel deliveries with your usual supplier or with Darch Oils (07970 400945). The British Red Cross can only help deliver fuel when supplies cannot reach delivery points.

Grants Available

Grants at a flat rate of £250 are available to alleviate the immediate financial hardship experienced by people whose homes are flooded or who were evacuated from their homes due to flooding. Also, grants of between £150 and £1,000 may be awarded to households directly and indirectly affected by the floods. Contact Somerset Community Foundation on (01749) 344949 or download the application form from http://www.somersetcf.org.uk.

Health FAQs

A list of useful FAQs covering a range of flood related health topics such as preparing food safely, washing and drinking water safely can be found at www.hpa.org.uk.

If you need health services, please call 111 or your GP for advice in the normal way. In a medical emergency you should still dial 999 and ask for the ambulance service.

Emergency accommodation
There is a rest centre, established by Sedgemoor District Council, at Westfield Church in West Street, Bridgwater (TA6 7EU). Details available from Sedgemoor District Council on 0845 4082540 or from the police number 101.

Donations
Donations have been pouring into the old Somerfield distribution centre at HuntworthBusinessPark, near Junction 24 in Bridgwater for the victims of the flooding. If you’ve been affected and need supplies, the centre has a variety of items that may be useful to you – from food and toiletries, to clothes and bedding. It’s open seven days a week, from 10am until 3pm. Please bring ID with you just so that we can confirm your address.

Welfare of domestic and farm animals
If you need to move your animals – whether domestic or farm – as part of a possible flood evacuation, contact the police number 101 for further assistance and information.

Keep Safe

• If sandbagging defences alongside rivers, be aware of the risk of fast flowing rivers. This also applies on flooded drives, roads, and pavements, where obstructions could include man-hole covers that may become dislodged.
• A public access defibrillator is in Muchelney’s church hall.
• High profile Police patrols continue and crime figures for the area remain much the same as last year. Remain vigilant and call 101 if you see anything suspicious.
• Please don’t use petrol or diesel generators or similar fuel-driven equipment indoors, be it for heating, pumping or generating electricity. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which can kill. More advice about carbon monoxide poisoning is available on the NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk). Anyone who is worried about their health can contact NHS 111.

Advice for parents

As the evening gets lighter children are out and about more, Public Health England and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue have issued advice to parents in flooded areas:

• Keep children and the vulnerable out of flood water
• Don’t let children play near flood water
• Avoid walking or driving through flood water if possible
• Don’t walk on sea defences or riverbanks
• Take care or avoid crossing bridges when water levels are high
• Take care crossing culverts as they are dangerous when flooded
• Don’t eat food that has touched floodwater
• Wash your hands regularly in clean warm water with soap or use hand gel
• Sandbags and sandbag “walls” could be an attraction to children and may appear to be quite robust but youngsters should be urged to keep well away from them and certainly not climb or play on them.

Helpline

For independent advice on all aspects of flooding for home owners and advice on Insurance issues, phone the National Flood Forum Helpline on (01299) 403055 or visit www.floodforum.org.uk

Useful contact numbers

• Police – 101 for general calls and 999 for emergency calls
• Environment Agency – 0345 9881188 for flood issues
• Sedgemoor District Council:

Telephone: 0845 408 2540 or local rate 01278 435435. Outside of these hours their 24/7 number is 0800 917 6520.

Email: customer.services@sedgemoor.gov.uk

Website: www.sedgemoor.gov.uk

• South Somerset District Council:

Telephone: 01935 462462 Monday to Friday (8.45am to 5.15pm) with an out of hours service providing cover for emergencies outside of these times.

Email: info@southsomerset.gov.uk

Website: www.southsomerset.gov.uk

• Taunton Deane Borough Council:

Tel: 01823 356356 with an out of hours service for emergencies

Emails: enquiries@tauntondeane.gov.uk

Website: www.tauntondeane.gov.uk

• Somerset County Council:

Roads and Transport 0845 345 9155

Adult Social Care 0845 345 9133

Children & Learning 0845 345 9122

General Enquiries 0845 345 9166

• Emergency accommodation – call Sedgemoor District Council or Police 101 number
• Farming Community Network – Local 01934 712128 National 0845 3679990
• Mindline – 01823 276892 Line open: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8pm-12am
• Samaritans Taunton branch – 01823 288 998 (24hr); Yeovil branch 01935 476455
• Somerset Carers Network – 01749 836 633
• 24 hour health care advice – 111

• Village Agents – Community Council for Somerset has Village Agents who can be contacted for advice and support, especially for the vulnerable:

– Alison Hoare: AHoareva@somersetrcc.org.uk 07798 703321. Moorland and surrounding area, Chedzoy, Westonzoyland, Middlezoy

– Audrey Mansfield: AMansfieldva@somersetrcc.org.uk 07870 577925. Creech St Michael and surrounding area including West Monkton, Ruishton, Lyng, Stoke St Gregory, Burrowbridge, Othery.

– Carolyn Roche: CRocheva@somersetrcc.org.uk 07968 521746. Muchelney area Hamdons, Montacute, Chilithorne Domer, Ash.

If you wish to contact the Village Agent manager sarah@somersetrcc.org.uk 01823 331222

Contacting the police

Don’t forget the Police’s new dedicated email address floodinginsomerset@avonandsomerset.police.uk and the form on the Police website, both of which can be used to tell us your requirements and can be acted on 24-7.

This is in addition to the usual 101 Police number.