Millions across England are being urged to prepare for flooding as Flood Action Week 2025 begins, running from 13–19 October. The Environment Agency is encouraging people to take proactive steps such as checking their flood risk, signing up for flood warnings, and preparing a flood plan to protect homes, businesses, and communities. Despite a dry summer, recent storms and climate change have heightened the risk of flooding, making preparedness more critical than ever.
Data from the Environment Agency shows that approximately 6.3 million homes and businesses are at risk from river, sea, or surface water flooding. However, polling indicates that 45% of the public have not checked their flood risk, highlighting the need for awareness campaigns. Executive Director Caroline Douglass emphasized that the agency is working to make communities more resilient to extreme weather and rising sea levels, while urging the public to take personal responsibility for preparation.
The government is investing heavily in flood resilience, with more than £10.5 billion allocated up to 2036 for building and repairing flood defences. Floods Minister Emma Hardy noted that this investment protects lives and livelihoods, creates jobs, prevents billions of pounds in damage, and supports housing development. In 2024 alone, rainfall was up to a third higher than usual, prompting over 3,000 flood alerts, 1,600 flood warnings, and three severe flood warnings from the Environment Agency.
To enhance national preparedness, the Environment Agency has deployed 260 mobile pumps, including 17 ultra-high-volume units, and 25km of temporary flood barriers ready for use across England. The agency conducts up to 165,000 inspections of flood assets annually to ensure their effectiveness in protecting nearby communities. Meanwhile, research from Flood Re emphasizes that property-level resilience measures can save hundreds of millions of pounds each year and mitigate the emotional and financial toll of flooding.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Will Lang highlighted that although longer-term forecasts suggest slightly drier conditions, intense or prolonged rainfall could still occur, particularly in northern and upland regions. The government’s increased capital investment in flood defences supports the replacement of ageing assets and strengthens long-term resilience. Since July 2024, 151 flood schemes have been completed, protecting 24,722 properties from flooding and demonstrating the ongoing commitment to safeguarding communities across England.
