Flood warning service to be extended (From The Northern Echo)

Flood warning service to be extended

1:08pm Monday 8th February 2010

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MORE than 50,000 extra homes and businesses in Yorkshire are to receive free flood warnings over the telephone from the Environment Agency.

From the end of this month, 56,000 Yorkshire properties with a landline which are at risk of river or sea flooding but not currently registered with the Environment Agency will receive a free flood warning.

At present, 22,700 Yorkshire properties are registered with the Agency’s warning service and next week it is sending letters out to additional homes and businesses which are to be automatically signed up.

Subscribers can choose to opt out of this service but the Agency is urging everyone to check its website for more information about preparing for the risk of flooding.

"The new extended service will benefit thousands of people across Yorkshire who currently are not taking advantage of our free warnings," said regional flood and coastal risk manager Phil Younge.

"We would still urge anyone whose property is at risk of flooding to sign up to Floodline Warnings Direct, which also is free and offers additional benefits."

The extension of the Environment Agency’s flood warning service was one of the key recommendations from the independent Pitt Review into the summer 2007 floods.

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