Are you winter ready? 'Know the risks, be informed, get prepared'

Know the risks, be informed, get prepared

It always pays to be prepared for winter. There are simple steps you can take to look after yourself, your family, your home, business, and community.

How to Prepare

Be ready at home, on the road, and at work - and think of others in your community.

During events like Storm Arwen, some areas lost power for up to a week. Taking sensible precautions now can make a big difference.

Essentials to Keep at Home:

• Stock of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food (that doesn't need cooking)
• Bottled water - in some areas, mains water may stop if power is lost
• Plenty of warm clothing and bedding - thinner layers are best
• LED torches or camping lanterns with spare batteries (safer than candles)
• An old-fashioned plug-in land

Car Readiness

Make sure your vehicle is winter-ready:

• Make time for winter: advice to motorists - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (opens new window)
• 6 simple checks to prepare your vehicle for winter - Met Office (opens new window)
• Prepare a winter kit for your car - Met Office (opens new window)

Flood Risk and Alerts

• Check the long term flood risk for an area in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (opens new window)
• Sign up for flood warnings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (opens new window)

Priority Services for Vulnerable People

If you or someone you know is vulnerable, you can register for priority support in case of disruption:

• Priority Services | UK Power Networks (opens new window)
• Priority services (anglianwater.co.uk) (opens new window)
• Priority Services Register (PSR) | Cadent (cadentgas.com) (opens new window)

Community Preparedness

• If you have a community emergency plan - review it thinking about winter risks and whether there is anything that could be added
• If you would like to create your own community resilience plan, you can find a template to get your started at: Community Resilience – Norfolk Resilience Forum (norfolkprepared.gov.uk) (opens new window)
• Speak to your district council emergency planning officer for further advice and guidance. Resources and supporting information – Norfolk Resilience Forum (norfolkprepared.gov.uk) (opens new window)

More details on advice for different types of emergency and severe weather can be found on theEmergency Planning page.

Email: emergencyplanning@breckland.gov.uk

If it happens:

• Look after and support relatives and neighbours - it is important and can save lives
• You can go to the live power cut map via the UK Power Networks website for information and updates (opens new window). If the Internet is down, dial 105 for updates from UK Power Networks
• Listen to Radio Norfolk on a battery or car radio, for initial updates (95.1 FM in east Norfolk, 95.6 FM in north Norfolk and 104.4 FM in west Norfolk)
• If Radio Norfolk is not working, Radio 2 (88-91 FM) or Radio 4 (92-95FM or 103-105 FM) should still be running
• Beware of carbon monoxide - never bring a barbecue indoors, don't use gas cookers for heating, open a window if you are using a gas camping stove and don't leave it unattended
• Check for service disruptions Emergency closures information for Norfolk - Norfolk County Council (opens new window)
• Monitor trusted social media outlets.
• One Norfolk food number for non-emergency situations. 0344 800 8013
• Burst water main -Report a leak (anglianwater.co.uk) (opens new window)

Other resources

• Norfolk prepared website -Low temperatures and snow – Norfolk Resilience Forum (norfolkprepared.gov.uk) (opens new window)
• Met Office -WeatherReady - Met Office (opens new window)
• UK power networks -Emergency power cuts (ukpowernetworks.co.uk) (opens new window)