Whitby and Esk Valley sees new flood warning service launched in three areas - here's where

The new flood warning areas around the River Esk at Ruswarp, Glaisdale and Danby are among the eight new areas the service has been updated to.,

Householders who sign up will see a warning message issued when flooding is forecast and then again to warn them if impacts are likely.

The warnings tell people about the risk of flooding to their home or business and helps people make informed decisions about how to respond.

There are three types of warning – Flood Alert, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning.

Householders are encouraged to prepare if they receive a Flood Alert which could mean packing a bag that includes medicines, insurance documents and anything else they wouldn't want to lose if flooding were to take place.

A Flood Warning calls on people to act now which means turning off gas, water and electricity and moving family and pets to safety.

A Severe Flood Warning means you are in immediate danger and to follow advice from emergency services.

Graham Lindsey, flood resilience team leader at the Environment Agency said: “We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority.

“These warnings are there to help people prepare for, and become more resilient to, flooding incidents and this new service will allow people to take appropriate action when flooding is forecast.

"We would encourage all of those in these new flood warning areas to sign up for our free warnings this winter for both their safety and peace of mind."

The new flood warning areas have been added as a result of modelling and new data which is part of the Environment Agency’s constant drive to continually improve the flood warning service.

The other new flood warnings areas are: Oil Mill Beck at Horsforth Woodside; communities along Black Brook from Bowers Mill to Berry Mill Lane, Calderdale; Bradford Beck and tributaries at Bradford; Hunsworth Beck at Oakenshaw and Went Beck at Purston Jaglin, Wakefield.

Visit https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings to register, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.