Flood victims need single national line to expert help, MPs say

Flood victims need a single national line to expert help, MPs said after a report warned many communities do not know who is responsible for managing flood risk in their area.

Public awareness of flood risk is “dangerously low”, the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said, with “lives and livelihoods” further endangered by people not understanding how to respond to warnings or protect their homes.

There is also currently no “single point of national accountability” for flood management as responsibilities among authorities are “fragmented” and their co-ordination is inconsistent, it flagged.

Around 6.3 million homes and businesses in England are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water, according to Environment Agency (EA) data.

Yet the agency also found 45% of the public have not looked up their home’s flood risk.

EAC MPs called on the Government to set up a single national flood reporting and information service that must be treated as “a core component of national flood strategy”.

Toby Perkins, the MP for Chesterfield and Staveley since 2010, said: “I know from my own constituency that flooding devastates communities, rips away livelihoods and causes horrific economic and psychological damage.

“As my community tragically found out with the death of Maureen Gilbert, who drowned due to flooding from Storm Babet in 2023, flooding can pose a threat to life too.”

The EAC chairman added: “A single national line would be a helpful step towards helping flood victims feel that the state has their back, and that they are not alone when they feel most vulnerable.

“A national flood awareness campaign would help the public to understand that while they should not panic, they must also prepare.”

The committee recommended the national flood line service is established by March 2026 to offer “a clear point of contact” for all flooding.

EAC also requested the Government by next year clarifies who is accountable for flood risk management, and suggested it strengthens the EA’s mandate.

The EA is urging millions in the UK to “get flood ready” at the start of its Flood Action Week on Monday, by signing up for warnings or preparing a plan.

It said: “After several named storms last winter and Storm Amy earlier this month, communities are warned not to be complacent about the risk of flooding, despite this summer’s dry weather.

“Flooding can have devastating and long-lasting impacts, which is why protecting people and communities is the Environment Agency’s top priority.”