Preparedness for when

jk0

Something I mentioned when GQ was getting her flat rewired was putting your sockets further up the wall. I did this because I won't always be able to bend down to them.

However, of course this would also be helpful if your house is flooded, as you might still be able to keep them operating. Of course, you'd also need to put your consumer unit and main fuse at a similar height which might be impractical for some.

Frugalsod

nuatha wrote: »

It wouldn't be hard, but it wouldn't be cheap either and since people don't want to pay for information online (and don't want to see adverts either) then there's very little incentive to produce and maintain such a site.
In general local radio does a fairly good job of announcing traffic and travel issues, though some areas are better than others (and was my first port of call having read Calicocat's post last night as we live in the same area and I had plans to be out and about this morning).

Also such services would be appropriate for the police AA and RAC to manage. They also inform the local and national radio so it would make more sense to listen to the radio.

Also theaa.com already has such a map


http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/floods-and-wet-weather.html?ico=homepage&icl=floods_and_rain&icc=latestnews

[Deleted User]

My girls clubbed together and got me a wonderful 4 litre dutch oven with a rimmed lid and a flat bottom for my Christmas present and the best pair of leather gauntlets I've ever seen to use on my Oz Pig, it's super!

GreyQueen

jk0 wrote: »

Something I mentioned when GQ was getting her flat rewired was putting your sockets further up the wall. I did this because I won't always be able to bend down to them.

However, of course this would also be helpful if your house is flooded, as you might still be able to keep them operating. Of course, you'd also need to put your consumer unit and main fuse at a similar height which might be impractical for some.

I won't get any say on moving my sockets upwards (although I've long thought it an excellent idea - who the heck uses appliances at skirting board level?!).

But if my personal consumer unit floods, I'm in big trouble as it's 5 ft above ground level.

Am watching these floods with saucer-eyes. Nothing like that down here, just a bit of light rain all day. My heart goes out to those poor people caught up in it all.

Frugalsod

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

My girls clubbed together and got me a wonderful 4 litre dutch oven with a rimmed lid and a flat bottom for my Christmas present and the best pair of leather gauntlets I've ever seen to use on my Oz Pig, it's super!

I have seen videos of dutch ovens used by campers so perfectly usable for an SHTF situation. So you now have no excuse for not making bread and cakes while bugging out. :beer:

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

But if my personal consumer unit floods, I'm in big trouble as it's 5 ft above ground level.

Mine's about 16' above ground level.

pineapple

I asked my normally community minded neighbour (who seems to know everyone here) what she thought we could do for our less fortunate flooded neighbours and the response was that they didn't have much money and had already donated to a flood relief appeal.
Though of course it doesn't actually have to be about money.
I looked up the population of the village. Don't have current figures but in 2011 it was under 200. I really thought there would have been some sort of community mobilisation in such a small place. I think there may be some sort of gathering today when the river dredging takes place plus there will be efforts in summer to restore the 3 acre village green to its usual pristine self.
But that's not quite the same thing.
The one concern I have heard expressed is the about the visual impact of flood measures and whether the village will ever look the same again. :huh:

thriftwizard

Oh dear, pineapple, sounds like you may have had an outbreak of "how it looks is all-important" in your village; it often follows an influx of ex-city-dwellers! Over the years we've been here, it's slowly become almost unacceptable to keep poultry/grow anything other than exotic flowers & bamboo/let your car get dirty/own a car older than 10 years here, yet we're officially in a rural town. And they're not up for street parties, or eating & drinking in the local pub & fraternising; Prezzo & one or two posh indie restaurants (never less than £50 per head) will get their custom instead.

Can't help wondering what would happen if we did get a flood; we're not too far off the flood plain here and only about 100 yards from the smaller of the two rivers that meet just down the road. It hasn't flooded in living memory, and there were buildings here in medieval times, but it really wouldn't take much extra to put us at risk.

Ah well, I suppose it wouldn't take them long to lug their huge TVs upstairs as that & a sofa are usually all they have in their living rooms! There might be advantages to minimalism, in times of trouble...

greenbee

Pineapple - our village is bigger than yours (650 people) and we have a flood co-ordinator who liaises with the parish, city and county councils. When the council offered sandbags (and the army to help distribute them) he arranged for them to be delivered to those people who couldn't get their own - non-drivers, elderly etc, and also took details of all those who were offering their spare rooms/garages for people to be evacuated to or store their belongings in. (Our village hall is too low-lying to use as an evacuation centre, so the church was designated instead). Luckily last time we were mostly OK - just a few people with flooded cellars.

Thriftwizard - my next door neighbour (been here longer than me, but originally from the surrey stockbroker belt) complained about me hanging my washing in the front garden. THere's nowhere else to hang it if I want it to get dry... but apparently I should hang it where people won't see it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Things will vary according to where you are I imagine.

Where I am a lot of things have been started/are being run by incomers - so we do join in in some communities:).

One of my friends was amused to get "told" when she moved into her house in a nearby village that "The owner of your house has always done so-and-so for the village and we expect you to as well". Cue for her retailing off to me at intervals after first moving in - "I've been told my house does this - oh well" (and she did it), followed by "I've been told my house does that too - oh well" (and she did it)....and yep...she is from Stockbroker Belt...

She was a bit taken aback by these "expectations attached to house". Obviously, there is no obligation on her (as current owner) to do so and she could opt out if she chose - but she tends to just grin/find it amusing and do so.