Sign up to get early warning of flood threat to home

SIX out of ten residents in some of Yorkshire's worst flooding hotspots have not signed up to the Environment Agency's free warning system.

Environment Agency staff will be visiting properties in North Yorkshire next week to encourage villagers to register for the free Floodline Warnings Direct service.

The ongoing threat of flooding in the county was underlined less than a fortnight ago when melting snow caused Pickering Beck to rise by 0.95m.

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It prompted renewed calls for flood defences by Howard Keal, of

Pickering Flood Defence Group.

Floodline Warnings Direct sends an automatic message by landline, mobile, email or fax to those who have signed up, telling them when flooding is imminent and what action they can take to protect their home or business.

Danielle Wheatley, from the Environment Agency's flood incident team, said only 40 per cent of the 249 properties in the county eligible for Environment Agency flood warnings have signed up.

"Registering for Floodline Warnings Direct is free and signing up is simple and quick," she said. "We will be knocking on people's doors and giving them the chance to register there and then. It only takes a couple of minutes to sign up for the service, which could save you a lot of money in the long run.

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"Receiving a flood warning from us can give you the time you need to protect yourself and your property from flooding."

On Thursday and Friday, officials will call at villages in the Selby and Tadcaster areas, including Bolton Percy, Ulleskelf, Stutton and Thorganby.

As well as signing up people to Floodline Warnings Direct, Environment Agency staff will be advising residents on other steps they can take to prepare for flooding and how they can prepare a personal flood plan.

The EA say the current campaign is targeted at North Yorkshire, but as reported by the Yorkshire Post there has been concern all over the region about the slow take-up of the service.

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Even after technological advances made the system more accurate in 2007 only 20,000 out of more than 35,000 homes in Yorkshire hotspots were signed up to the system.

n To find out if your property is at risk of flooding and eligible for the Floodline Warnings Direct service, call the Environment Agency's Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or visit the website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.