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Severe weather updates

This page contains advice and information on how to prepare for severe weather, what to do during severe weather and advice around recovery if you are impacted 

Key contacts 

Here you will find links to key information you can use to prepare for a storm and what to do during a storm 

The following websites offer local updates and advice during periods of severe weather:

Service disruptions 

There are currently no reported disruptions to West Oxfordshire District Council Services.

What we do during severe weather

When there is severe weather, public services will look at the risk and work together to respond to any negative impact. Different organisations have different responsibilities which are listed below. Some of these are legally required and some the councils chose to do:

District Council

  • Temporarily re-home people who have to leave their home and cant stay with friends and family. If a home is flooded the homeowner should also contact their insurance (or landlord if rental accommodation) for alternative accommodation
  • Set up a rest centre in certain situations where multiple households are affected 
  • Support vulnerable people with flood defences 
  • Provide emergency sandbag collection points for homeowners at imminent risk of flooding. This is a discretionary service and should only be used by those at imminent risk and who don't have their own defences. Homeowners at regular risk should look to prepare their own defences and we can provide advice with this. 

County Council

  • Clearing fallen trees
  • Managing the road network
  • More information on their responsibilities can be found on their website

Police and fire service

  • Support people in emergency situations
  • Manage an evacuation if it was necessary in extreme situations

Homeowners responsibility

  • Protect their home and property from flooding, high winds, etc
  • Prepare before any travel and take precautions to protect their own safety

 

What we do to prepare for severe weather and prevent its impact

We work closely with partners across the district to mitigate the impacts of severe weather. This includes:

  • Making sure we regularly clear watercourses we own. We also work to encourage private landowners to clear their watercourses. Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for clearing drains and gullies on the road network. They are also responsible for co-ordinating the management of flood risk across the county.
  • We provide advice to homeowners impacted by flooding to help them prepare and protect their homes. If you are ever flooded make sure to report it so we are aware and can provide support.
  • Through the planning system we make sure flood mitigation is included in all new developments. We have also challenged developments on flood plains where we feel they may contribute to flooding.
  • We provide flooding preparation support to vulnerable areas.
  • Providing funding to local initiatives looking to restore natural flood plains and mitigate the impact of flooding.
  • Working with Ubico to clear key trash screens and grills to improve water flow.
  • Topping up sandbag stations across the district for residents at risk of flooding.
  • Supporting local community groups to monitor river levels and create natural flood-mitigation areas.
  • Working with developers to ensure all new developments include robust flood-mitigation measures.

 

 

 

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