Please see below for some messages the communications team at IW Council has been sharing recently and an update on the current position with adverse weather. Please do share them with your network and community if appropriate.
Flood Note:
Just to advise you that IW Council are setting up a mailbox for flood recovery issues to ensure we can capture as many messages as possible from the public and the community and to support us in coordinating and gathering intelligence. Please do send details of your flood experiences to IW Council.
Email: iwcfloodrecovery@iow.gov.uk
Weather update – 1st to 6th November 2023
Wednesday into Thursday
- The south-easterly wind will increase during Wednesday evening, turning south to south-westerly, increasing Thursday morning with gusts of 50-60 mph inland, widely 60-70 mph, 70-80 mph along the coast. A few exposed coastal locations could see gusts in excess of 85 mph.
- The Met Office has issued an Amber wind warning – this could mean a danger to life, damaged buildings, power outages, disruption to transport, and large waves with beach material being thrown onto sea fronts.
Friday / Saturday
- The low-pressure area will slowly weaken and move east during Friday with the wind easing and any showers gradually dying out to leave a mainly dry afternoon.
- Saturday will see further rain, the strong winds.
- A band of rain will push east early Saturday morning with showers following behind, which will be frequent and heavy.
- The showers will die out inland during the evening but continue along the coast.
Sunday
- The wind looks like turning west to north-westerly on leading to a day of sunny spells and showers.
Warnings issued:
Yellow Wind Warning valid between 2100 Wednesday 1st November until 2359 Thursday 2nd November.
Amber Wind Waring valid between 0600 Thursday 2nd November until 2000 Thursday 2nd November.
Yellow Rain Warning valid between 1800 Wednesday 1st November until 2359 Thursday 2nd November.
You can check current flood warnings or alerts, river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels and flood risk in the next 5 days by postcode here: https://www.gov.uk/check-flooding
Weather forecasts can be checked at https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/
Advice has been issued via the media to ‘be prepared, stay safe and protect property’:
Stay informed
Keep up to date with local weather updates from trusted sources such as the Met Office: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#
Check for Environment Agency flood alerts, know your flood risk, and sign up to receive flood warnings: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/
Advice about storms and gales can also be found on the council’s website: https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/storms-and-gales/
Flooding
With rain expected to continue over the next few days, we are reminding residents to be prepared for flooding.
The council’s own Floodline advice and guidance number is (01983) 823111.
Flooding advice and sandbag information is available on our website: https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/flooding/
The Environment Agency provides help on flooding issues via its Floodline: 0345 988 1188 or text 0345 602 6340.
For evacuation because of severe flooding or damage, contact the police or dial 999.
For non-emergency calls relating to vulnerable older people, call adult services on (01983) 823340 or (01983) 821105 outside of office hours.
Travel
With very strong winds of up to 80mph expected in coastal areas on the Island, there is a risk of damage to buildings and falling trees leading to a potential risk to life.
Therefore, people are advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary, but if unavoidable, to travel with the utmost caution avoiding, where possible, coastal and wooded areas while winds are high.
Do not drive through flooding, and observe road signs and closures.
Avoid coastal areas
Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to high winds, heavy waves, and potential flooding during bad weather.
During the storm, please do not visit the coast, and avoid walking along beaches and cliffs.
Secure loose items
Residents should secure loose items like bins, garden furniture and trampolines and parking cars in a garage, if available, or keeping them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences.
Fallen trees
For non-emergency reports, visit: FixMyStreet (islandroads.com)
If a fallen tree or hazard is an immediate danger to life, call 999.
Water, electricity and gas services
For any issues with electricity supply, see https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/ or call 105.
For gas related issues, call 0800 111999 (National Gas Emergency Service).
To report a water leak, call Southern Water’s 24-hour leak line 0330 030 0146. For emergencies, call 0330 303 068. You can also visit: Southern Water: Water and wastewater services for the South East
More ways to stay safe
You can join utility company registers for people who are vulnerable or have individual needs:
- Southern Water Priority Services Register: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-register
- Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Priority Services Register: https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/priority-services/priority-services-registration-form/
All weather warnings are being posted on the council’s Facebook as soon as we get them.
Please share our Facebook post or Tweet about how to prepare for Storm Ciaran.
Our most read post yesterday was about health concerns with a reach of 12,342 people. In total, our Facebook reach yesterday was more than 41,000 people.
| Be prepared, stay safe and protect property. That’s the message from the Isle of Wight Council as the Island braces itself for further heavy rain and strong winds over the coming days, with potential for disruption to travel and services. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for wind, valid on Thursday from 6am until 8pm, as Storm Ciaran moves in. It follows a yellow weather warning for wind and rain tomorrow (Wednesday). With trees still in full leaf, and the ground already saturated, there’s high chance that there will be a lot of debris on the roads and a further risk of flooding. Councillor Karen Lucioni, Cabinet member for community protection, said: “This will be a real joint effort and we’re working alongside colleagues in other emergency services and local communities to do all we can to support residents and keep the Island safe. “As we work through Storm Ciaran, we’d once again like to thank Island residents — they’ve been fantastic supporting each other, looking out for their neighbours and we’re confident we’ll see this again.” #Stay informed Keep up to date with local weather updates from trusted sources such as the Met Office: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings# Check for Environment Agency flood alerts, know your flood risk, and sign up to receive flood warnings: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/ Advice about storms and gales can also be found on the council’s website: https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/storms-and-gales/ #Flooding With rain expected to continue over the next few days, we are reminding residents to be prepared for flooding. The council’s own Floodline advice and guidance number is (01983) 823111. Flooding advice and sandbag information is available on our website: https://www.iow.gov.uk/keep-the-island-safe/severe-weather/flooding/ The Environment Agency provides help on flooding issues via its Floodline: 0345 988 1188 or text 0345 602 6340. For evacuation because of severe flooding or damage, contact the police or dial 999. For non-emergency calls relating to vulnerable older people, call adult services on (01983) 823340 or (01983) 821105 outside of office hours. #Travel With very strong winds of up to 80mph expected in coastal areas on the Island, there is a risk of damage to buildings and falling trees leading to a potential risk to life. Therefore, people are advised to travel with care avoiding, as far as possible, coastal and wooded areas while winds are high. People are also advised to check transport operator (rail, ferry and bus) websites and social media channels for any updates before travelling. Do not drive through flooding, and observe road signs and closures. #Avoid coastal areas Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to high winds, heavy waves, and potential flooding during bad weather. During the storm, please do not visit the coast, and avoid walking along beaches and cliffs. #Secure loose items Residents should secure loose items like bins, garden furniture and trampolines and parking cars in a garage, if available, or keeping them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences. #Fallen trees For non emergency reports, visit: FixMyStreet (islandroads.com) If a fallen tree or hazard is an immediate danger to life, call 999. #Water, electricity and gas services For any issues with electricity supply, see https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/ or call 105. For gas related issues, call 0800 111999 (National Gas Emergency Service). To report a water leak, call Southern Water’s 24-hour leak line 0330 030 0146. For emergencies, call 0330 303 068. You can also visit: Southern Water: Water and wastewater services for the South East #Public Health advice The latest Public Health advice relating to flooding is available on the Government website: Flooding and health: advice for the public – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) #More ways to stay safe You can join utility company registers for people who are vulnerable or have individual needs: Southern Water Priority Services Register: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-register Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Priority Services Register: https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/priority-services/priority-services-registration-form/ |
| SSEN Distribution Yellow Alert – Storm Ciarán Wednesday 01 November 2023 09:30 Good morning This morning, in response to the latest weather forecast, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has moved to Yellow Alert status ahead of Storm Ciarán. It is due to hit central southern England overnight on Wednesday and continue into Thursday, leading to several hours of strong winds, heavy rain and a risk of localised flooding. At this time, SSEN would like to reassure its customers and partners that it is well prepared for this period of bad weather. The decision to move to Yellow Alert status comes as a result of the increasing certainty about the storm’s duration and route, and the potential it has to cause damage to the electricity network. SSEN has been monitoring this weather system for several days, and is now activating its well-rehearsed contingency plans, bringing in additional teams to deal with any damage to the network and subsequent faults, which may impact customers’ power supplies. These additional teams, aided by colleagues from SSEN’s north of Scotland distribution area and contractor partners, will respond to faults and carry out repairs quickly and safely. Teams answering customers’ queries over the phone are being bolstered, and SSEN is already calling its most vulnerable customers to offer them help and advice. In total, more than 250,000 customers who are on the Priority Service Register will be contacted ahead of the storm. SSEN is also organising for welfare provisions to be put in place for affected areas. SSEN’s latest weather model shows a likelihood of southerly and south-westerly gusts of up to 70mph along the Hampshire and Sussex coast overnight on Wednesday and throughout the day on Thursday, with inland gusts of up to 60mph in Dorset. Gusts in excess of 50mph are possible in Berkshire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. The winds will be accompanied by persistent, heavy rain. SSEN will continue to monitor this storm closely as it develops and issue regular updates. Customers are encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by: Saving the emergency power cut number – ‘105‘ – to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network Visiting SSEN’s Power Track Website to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through the Power Track app Going to SSEN’s website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to deal with a power cut, or to chat live to one of SSEN’s advisors via its Webchat service Customers are also eligible for SSEN’s Priority Services Register (PSR) if they: Are deaf or hard of hearing Have a disability Live with children under five Are blind or partially sighted Have a chronic illness Can we ask that you share these important messages with members of your communities to allow them to prepare for any potential disruption of supply. We are coordinating through the local resilience forums to further assist preparations and we will continue to keep you updated on our activities relating to the impacts of Storm Ciarán. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at stakeholder.engagement@sse.com Fiona Morrissey Engagement Delivery Manager, SSEN |
