Flooding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
SEPA’s Floodline
Service
Signing
up to the Floodline direct warning service
Be flood aware
Be flood prepared
Dealing with a
flood
Insurance
Reservoirs
SEPA’s Floodline Service
Q: What is Floodline?
A: Floodline
is an automated telephone and website service operated 24 hours a
day, seven days a week which anyone can access by calling 0845 988
1188 or visiting www.sepa.org.uk/floodingupdates.
Floodline is your live source of river and coastal flooding
information. You can use this service to find out if your area is
likely to flood and get advice on what you should do to take action
to protect your home and belongings. You can also speak to an
advisor if you have a specific query.
You can now sign up to receive free flood
messages direct to your mobile phone or landline. If
flooding is predicted for your area you will be sent a message to
notify you of this, it will direct you to the Floodline help number
to get further advice on what action you should take. You will
receive these messages free of charge and they could be sent at any
time of the day.
Q: How can Floodline help me?
A: Floodline provides vital information so you can
take action to protect yourself and your home from flood damage.
Although your property may not flood, roads and transport networks
in your area could be affected restricting your ability to get to
your workplace or nearby facilities.
Q: How do I access
Floodline?
A: You can access Floodline 24 hours a day by calling 0845
988 1188, calls charged at local rate. Or you can visit the SEPA
website for live flood updates at www.sepa.org.uk/floodingupdates
Q: What messages does Floodline
send?
A: Floodline sends flood warning messages to allow
people to take action to limit flood damage. A general
Flood Alert can be given for an area if hydrologists are
concerned that river, tidal or weather conditions are indicating
flooding is possible. In certain areas particularly prone to
flooding, there may be local flood warning schemes, where more
detailed Flood Warnings & Severe Flood Warnings, can be given.
To find out more on that these mean and what action you should take
visit know your flood warning
symbols.
Q: What is a flood warning area?
A: A Flood Warning area means an area where SEPA operates
a formal flood monitoring scheme with the available technology
to issue targeted Flood Warning messages for properties located in
this area. The boundaries of these areas have been set to
include any properties which may be impacted by the effects of
river or coastal flooding.
This impact could be that access routes are
cut off or dangerous flood waters may be present. The
inclusion of any property within a flood warning area does not
specifically imply that the individual property is at risk of
flooding, but helps to identify the area at risk.
You can find out more on what the Flood Alert
and Flood Warning messages mean here and what action you should take when
one is issued.
Q: How does SEPA predict flooding?
A: Our flood forecasts are based on up-to-date river and
coastal monitoring – a system that predicts both the likelihood and
the timing of floods.
This system is kept updated by our team of Flood Warning Duty
Officers, based at SEPA offices across the country, who are on call
24 hours a day. These officers are experienced hydrologists who use
weather forecasts, rainfall data, river level data and tidal
forecasts to predict the likelihood of flooding.
There has been significant investment in the technology behind
SEPA’s river forecasting and weather monitoring techniques and, in
some areas, our forecasts can even predict the time of floods
occurring at a street by street level. However, the nature of
flooding means you should regularly check both Floodline and the
weather reports in case of any sudden changes
Signing up to the Floodline direct warning
service
Q: What is the new service and why should I sign
up?
A: The new SEPA Floodline direct
warning service is an extension to the existing Floodline service,
which enables members of the public to sign up to receive free
flood messages direct to their registered mobile phone or
landline.
Flood warning messages are
published on our website and through the Floodline recorded
telephone service when flooding is predicted in local areas.
Registered customers will also receive the messages direct to their
phone, encouraging them to go to Floodline for more detailed
information to protect themselves and their property. Only
those who sign up will receive advance warning messages directly to
their phone; so they don’t have to rely on weather and news reports
to find out if flooding has been forecast.
Advance warning provides crucial time to take
action to prepare yourself and your property for flooding.
Q: What messages will I receive from
Floodline if I sign up?
A: Floodline
will send you a text or recorded voice message to your chosen
landline or mobile phone number when flooding has been forecast for
your area; the message will encourage you to go to the Floodline
website or recorded telephone service for more detailed
information.
Flood Warnings are issued 3-6 hours in advance
of potential flooding. However it is not always possible to give
this much notice for areas prone to rapid flooding or when water
levels have escalated quicker than expected.
In areas where we do not operate a formal
flood monitoring scheme, SEPA and the Met Office examine weather
forecast and other available information closely and SEPA will
issue a Flood Alert.
Flood Alerts are issued for areas which are
not covered by a formal flood warning scheme, these are based on
Met Office weather forecasts and cover a wider geographical area
usually representing local authority area boundaries. You can find
more information on the Floodline service and the terms and
conditions of the service from the SEPA website.
Q: Can I sign up to receive warnings
for more than one property address?
A: Yes, if you know the postcode for each property,
information will be sent to your correspondence address. You
will receive a flood warning message for each registered property
to the same contact number/s. If you want to register
individual contact details for each property then separate
registration accounts will be created.
Q: What is a Priority
number and why is Priority 1 so
important?
A: The Floodline service
will try to issue flood warning messages to your Priority 1
telephone number, you must have access to this number day and night
as it will be the first number that Floodline will try to contact
you on. If you do not answer the phone or the messages cannot be
delivered the system will try your choice of additional numbers in
order of priority, up to a maximum of 3 times. An answering phone
service may be treated as a delivered message.
You can provide up to 3 landline or mobile
numbers to receive voice messages, plus up to 3 mobile numbers to
receive SMS messages, giving you a total of 6 possible registered
numbers.
Q: Should I sign up
for Flood Alerts or Flood
warnings?
A: When you register
Floodline will check your address to see if you can receive a
targeted flood warning for your local area; if your property is
within a Warning area, you can also choose to receive additional
Alert messages for the wider area.
If your property is not within a warning
target area you will automatically be registered for the more
general Flood Alert area. Please be aware that Flood Alerts are
issued for larger geographical areas, usually representing Local
Authority boundaries and therefore might not be relevant for all
properties.
Q: Can I register for
a property which isn’t my own – for example my workplace or
school?
A: It is possible to
register an interest in a property or location within a town / city
or an area of land. If you have the postcode for the area a
Floodline call centre agent can check to see what warning service
is available.
Q: If I provide an
email address will you send flood warnings via
email?
A: Unfortunately the
Floodline service cannot send flood warning messages by email, as
it is not deemed to be an urgent means of communication. Flood
warning messages will only be sent by SMS or recorded voice
messages.
However, if you provide an email address this
will be used to set up an online account for you, you will also
receive annual account reminders via email to ensure that your
details are kept up-to-date. If you do not provide an email
address, the annual reminder will be sent through the
post. * (Multiple registrations for the same email
address are not possible)
Q: What should I do
when I receive a message from
Floodline?
A: Whenever you receive a
flood notification message, you should call Floodline on 0845 988
1188. If you call from your registered telephone number, you should
be taken directly to the detailed information for your area. If
calling from an unregistered phone, simply enter your quick dial
code(s) listed to access the specific information for your area.
Alternatively, you can visit www.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates to
view the information.
Be flood aware
Q: What causes flooding?
A: Flooding is caused when the river catchment
(the area of land that feeds water into the river) receives greater
than normal amounts of water, this can happen when it rains heavily
or snow melts. The river cannot cope with this extra water, causing
the level of water in the river to rise and a flood to take
place.
Q: What is a flood plain?
A: A floodplain is the lowland next to a river, loch or
sea.
Q: What about drains and sewers?
A: Drains and sewers overflowing is a serious problem,
SEPA can predict flooding from rivers and the sea, but we cannot
predict this sort of flooding. If you come across flooded areas due
to an overloaded drain you should contact Scottish Water 
which is responsible for drainage and the water
network.
Q: Can you predict coastal
flooding?
A: SEPA provides a coastal flood alert service for
nine broad coastal areas of Scotland. We also issue warnings in the
Firth of Clyde area, which is covered by a local flood warning
scheme. You can find more information on this from here.
Q: When are high tides?
A: SEPA does not issue tide times. Tide times vary
around the coast but are entirely predictable. They are affected by
the position of the moon, earth and sun.
Every day there are two high and two low tides. At different times
of the month the time and height will be different. Tide tables
showing the time and level of high and low tides are published and
are available in bookshops and on several websites.
Sea levels are also affected by meteorological conditions such as
air pressure and winds which cause ‘surges’ that can affect the
predicted tide levels significantly. If a surge pushes water
towards the land and coincides with a high tide then flooding can
be worsened or may occur even though the predicted tide level was
below danger levels.
Q:How do I know if my property is at risk of
flooding?
A: SEPA has an online flood map that indicates the risk to
land by rivers and the sea. Our flood map can be accessed here. You can also look into historical
information which may be available at local libraries or council
offices. The Floodline service can give you further information on
whether your property is located in an area at risk of
flooding
Be flood prepared
Q: What do the flood
symbols actually mean?
A: SEPA issues flood warnings by using a set
of three easily-recognisable symbols. All flood warnings are
serious, and appropriate steps should be taken if a warning is
issued. You can find out what the symbols mean here.
Q: Who is responsible for flood
defences?
A: Your local council is responsible for the construction
and maintenance of any flood defences in your area. If you would
like to know what flood defences there are in your local area
contact your local authority directly.
Q: Who is responsible for sewers and
drains?
A: Drains and sewers overflowing is a serious problem,
SEPA can predict flooding from rivers and the sea, but we cannot
predict this sort of flooding. If you come across flooded areas due
to an overloaded drain you should contact Scottish Water who are
responsible for drainage and the water network.
Q: Who is responsible for flood
warnings?
A: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is
the flood warning authority of Scotland with responsibility for
warning and informing the public on the risk of flooding. SEPA
operate flood warning services in partnership with Scottish local
authorities and the police. This includes Floodline, a 24 hour,
recorded messaging service which gives live warning and alert
information specific to geographical areas of Scotland at risk of
flooding. You can access more information on Floodline here.
Q: Where can I find flood protection
products?
A: You can find information on flood protection
products here.
Dealing with a flood
Q: Who will help me if my area/house
floods?
A: If your area floods, emergency services will work
together to ensure people are safe and moved from the affected
area.
Q: Where can I get sandbags from?
A: Sandbags are provided by some local authorities, but
they do not have a duty to supply these and supplies could be
limited during a flooding incident. You can also purchase
these from DIY stores or make some yourself using pillowcases,
carrier bags or even tights filled with sand or earth. You should
lay sandbags in an effective way to prevent water accessing your
property as much as possible. They should be positioned in a
pyramid formation.
Q: Where can I get further advice and
support?
A: The Scottish Flood Forum offers independent advice to
communities who have been affected from flooding. You can find out
more information on them from the website
Q: Where should I go if my house is
flooded?
A: Your local authority may have set up a temporary
shelter for people to move to.
Insurance
The information contained below is intended to be a
consolidation of various issues and questions about insurance which
have been raised by the public in a number of situations through a
variety of channels.
Q: I’m in a flood area – are insurers
going to refuse to offer me flood insurance cover?
A: Insurance companies that are members of the Association
of British Insurers (ABI) have a commitment to provide insurance
for properties in flood warning areas. The Scottish
Government and the ABI have issued a joint statement to this
effect:
Until 30 June 2013 ABI members commit to: ‘Continue to make flood
insurance for domestic properties and small businesses available as
a feature of standard household and small business policies if the
flood risk is not significant (this is generally defined as no
worse than a 1.3% or 1 in 75 annual probability of flooding).
Continue to offer flood cover to existing domestic property and
small business customers at significant flood risk, providing the
local authority has announced plans and notified the ABI of its
intention to reduce the risk for those customers below significant
within five years. The commitment to offer cover will extend to the
new owner of any applicable property subject to satisfactory
information about the new owner.’
Q: What will happen after June
2013?
A: The Scottish Government and the ABI are
committed to ensuring that flood insurance remains as affordable
and widely-available as possible. It is anticipated that by
this time, the provision of affordable flood insurance will have
become a matter of course.
Q: My insurer is refusing to renew the flood
coverage part of my policy
A: Under their obligations as members of the ABI,
an insurer cannot do this.
Q: Insurance premiums will go up when SEPA
identifies me as living in a flood risk area
A: SEPA’s flood maps should have no influence on insurance
premiums. The current licence under which interested parties,
such as insurance companies, are able to gain access to the flood
map does not allow them to use it for commercial purposes (e.g. to
adjust their premiums). Some insurance companies already
possess their own flood map which they use to assess flood risk in
the UK.
Q: My policy excess has increased
significantly after being flooded – what can I do?
A: It is worth shopping around for quotes.
If you can demonstrate that you have taken steps to minimise
potential flood damage (for example by installing flood protection
products) then insurers may take this into consideration when
calculating risk.
Q: Is flood damage covered by buildings or
contents insurance?
A: Both types of insurance will offer cover in the event
of flood damage. Some insurers offer stand-alone flood
insurance policies covering both the structure of the building and
its contents. Please check the details of your policy for any
exclusions.
Q: My insurer has asked for a flood risk
report – can SEPA provide this?
A: SEPA does not issue flood risk reports for
properties. This is different from England and Wales, where
our equivalent body (the Environment Agency) does issue flood risk
reports.
Q: I’ve been flooded – how do I make a
claim?
A: Call your insurer’s 24-hour claim line as soon as
possible. Your insurer will discuss your requirements for
alternative accommodation and ask questions about the extent of the
damage. Keep your own photographic records of the damage.
Q: I’m not happy with my insurer – who do I complain
to?
A: In the event that you’re not satisfied with any
part of the insurance or claims process, you should use your
insurance company’s own formal complaints procedure.
Alternatively, you may contact the Financial Ombudsman Service on
0845 080 1800.
Q: Can SEPA provide flood risk
reports?
A: SEPA is not able to provide flood risk
reports which are sometimes requested by insurance companies.
To find out if your area is at risk of flooding please visit the
Indicative River and Coastal Map which
provides an estimate of where flooding from rivers and the sea is
likely to occur. The Indicative River and Coastal Flood Map
is designed to be used as a national strategic assessment of flood
risk. Please note that the current licence under which
interested parties, such as insurance companies, are able to gain
access to the Flood Map does not allow it to used for commercial
purposes (e.g. to adjust their premiums).
Reservoirs
Q: Will all reservoirs be affected by the new
legislation?
The Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 provides a mechanism to
regulate all structures that can hold more than 10,000m3
of water above the natural level of the surrounding land, the
equivalent to four Olympic sized swimming pools. More
reservoirs will be identified as “controlled” than under the
current legislation which only regulates reservoirs capable of
holding 25 000m3.
Q: How will I know if my reservoir is
subject to the new legislation?
If your reservoir is currently regulated under the Reservoirs Act
1975 you will also be regulated under the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act
2011 when it supersedes the existing legislation. SEPA is
engaging with the reservoirs industry though representative
organisations and writing directly to Reservoir Managers to promote
the changes taking place to the way reservoir safety is
regulated.
Q: Who is responsible for regulating
reservoir safety?
Local authorities regulate
reservoirs in Scotland under the Reservoirs Act 1975 and will
continue to do so through to 2015. Until SEPA takes over its
regulatory function you should continue to send documents relating
to your reservoir to your local authority, in addition to enquiries
about current processes.
Q: When will SEPA take on
responsibility for the regulation of reservoir
safety?
Local authorities will continue to regulate
until 2015 when a transition phase will take place for SEPA to
become the new enforcement authority under the Reservoirs
(Scotland) Act 2011. At that time, only sites regulated under
the previous Reservoirs Act 1975 will be regulated. Smaller
reservoirs (10 000m3 to 25 000m3) will fall
under regulation at a later date.
Q: What does risk designation mean and
how will my reservoir be assessed?
The Reservoirs
(Scotland) Act 2011 applies a risk-based approach to the management
of reservoir safety. This means reservoirs will be regulated
in a proportionate way based on the potential adverse consequences
of an uncontrolled release of water and the probability of such a
release. From data supplied by local authorities, panel
engineers and Reservoir Managers, SEPA will produce inundation maps
which will be used as the basis for assigning a designation of
high, medium or low to the reservoir.
Q: Do I need to have an engineer for
my reservoir?
Currently, under the Reservoirs Act
1975 all reservoirs that hold more than 25 000m3 should
be inspected by a panel, supervising and inspecting engineer.
It is the Reservoir Manager’s responsibility to appoint a panel
engineer. Under the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011, Reservoir
Managers will be required to appoint engineers based on the
reservoir’s risk, with high risk sites requiring a greater level of
inspection than medium or low risk sites.
Q: How do I register my
reservoir?
The registration process has not started yet. We are
currently developing the regulatory system we need to take on our
new duties and as Scottish Government develops secondary
legislation we will continue to identify the information which will
be required for this process. It is likely that information
needed to register will include technical details about the
structure of the reservoir, its purpose and the details of how
safety is monitored.
Q: Is SEPA working with the reservoir
industry to implement the new legislation?
We are
working closely with the reservoir industry to develop a regulatory
system which is fair, efficient and effective. The Scottish
Government has established a Reservoirs Safety Stakeholders Group
where stakeholder organisations can share their views on the new
approach and provide advice and guidance to SEPA. We also
engage with technical experts to provide a peer review for
technical aspects of the process.
Q: How do I keep up to date on
developments?
For further information on what is
happening with regard to the implementation of the Reservoirs
(Scotland) Act 2011 please visit our reservoir pages on the
website. For specific enquiries please contact us at reservoirs@sepa.org.uk.
Further information on the reservoir industry is available from
Scottish
Government, the British
Dam Society and the Institution of Civil Engineers.