ipswich.gov.uk

Continued caution is needed as major incident stood down

• General advice for all Suffolk residents still applies
• Recovery work now underway

Suffolk’s emergency services, councils, and public bodies have ‘stood down’ the major incident response to Storm Babet – but are urging people to remain cautious and follow safety advice.

Public agencies in Suffolk are still responding to the impact and threats posed by the severe flooding, but are now able to do so within existing resources and without the need for tight coordination by the Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF). Areas most badly hit by the floods, including towns and villages in Babergh and Mid Suffolk, are likely to continue to get additional coordinated support from public bodies across Suffolk – led by the district councils in those areas. 

People in East Suffolk are therefore still being warned that flood water levels have not necessarily hit their peak. This is because flood water entering Suffolk’s rivers is flowing downstream towards the coast faster than expected – meaning water levels could rise before they drop.

Residents and businesses, especially those close to waterways, should continue to follow closely flood warnings and alerts from the Environment Agency and take action if advised. Members of the public can sign up for flood warnings here: Sign up for flood warnings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

People are no longer being asked to travel only if absolutely necessary but are being urged to drive with caution.

Key public safety advice includes:

• Don’t drive through flood water. Just one egg cup of water is enough to wreck your engine
• Keep alert for surface water, drive according to the conditions, increase distance from the vehicle in front, and be prepared to back off if visibility gets worse
• Be aware of debris left on roads by the flood water
• Return to abandoned vehicles and retrieve them, where safe to do so
• Avoid playing or swimming in flood water, because it can contain hidden dangers such as lifted manhole covers, sharp objects, sewage, and chemicals.
• Check your flood risk here: Check for flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

The five district and borough councils across Suffolk are already working to help residents and businesses recover from the impact of the floods. Information is already available on their websites and further details will be released in the coming days.