Mytholmroyd resident Esther Waite has taken measures to protect her property’s electrical supply following the floods of December 2015, which left her without power for several days.
Using grant funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the electrical system and meter, which were previously located in the basement, have been moved above ground floor level. This will provide an uninterrupted source of power and speed up the recovery process if Esther’s home is ever flooded again.
The plug sockets and cooker power sources have also been raised above the 2015 flood level, which came up to a depth of 600mm on the ground floor.
Cllr Daniel Sutherland, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Environment, said:
“Grant funding has helped over 1,350 flood-affected residents like Esther to make their homes more resilient against flooding.
“Being prepared and taking measures to limit the possible effects of flooding will help residents feel safer and able to recover more quickly should their homes flood again in future.”
The adjustments to Esther’s electrical supply have removed a major worry for her. Esther said of the work:
“Of all the measures recommended, raising the electrics out of the cellar was an absolute priority, without a doubt number one.”
During any future flooding, this improved electrical resilience will help to ensure that any disruptions to heating, lighting and power are minimised and information via social media channels and mobile phone alerts through battery powered devices are readily available.
Moving electrical equipment to a safer, higher level in the highest risk properties will also avoid having to make expensive and time consuming repairs to meters and electrical consumer units, helping residents get back to normal as quickly as possible following any future flood events.
Esther has also taken other resilience measures in her home, for example she has replaced her dining table with one with metal legs so that during any flood she can use it to store larger items before disinfecting it and reusing it.
Although the flood grant scheme closed to new applicants in March 2017, there are some simple measures that can be taken to make properties more resilient against flooding. More information is available at www.calderdale.gov.uk/flooding and on the community website www.eyeoncalderdale.com(external link).
Residents are also advised to practice their flood plans regularly and sign up for flood warnings to give themselves as much time as possible to prepare for flooding. Further information and advice can be found at https://www.gov.uk/prepare-for-flooding/future-flooding(external link)
ENDS