Received a Flood Alert or Warning? What happens next
If you receive a Flood Alert for the “River Trent” or the “River Trent tributaries” in Nottinghamshire, generally there is no need to worry. The alert is aimed more at farmers with low lying land. It warns you to be wary along footpaths near the tributaries like the Cocker Beck. The code the EA give for these alerts is 206020 or 206012.
A Flood Warning for the “Cocker Beck at Lowdham” is more serious and should be taken more seriously. The code the EA give for this alerts is 306032.
The FLAG team will be monitoring weather forecasts and using weather modelling software.
If a flood seems likely FLAG will set up their Operations Centre (HQ) in the Women’s Institute (WI) Hall (opposite the Magna Charta Pub). Contact is via a dedicated phone number 07824 048682 (This is only active during a flood event).
Anyone wanting to help should call that number or go to the WI Hall where the team will let you know what help is needed.
FLAG will update our Facebook page with regular updates. The HQ team will use WhatsApp to contact known volunteers to ask for availability to help in the HQ, to help with road closures, and with flood defence deployment.
If you would like to volunteer, please email Lowdham FLAG at Lowdhamflag@gmail.com or apply online here, or in an event call 07824 048682.
If you’d like to see the latest river levels and rainfall then visit our Dashboard on our website at https://lowdhamvolunteers.org/flooding-key-info/
Do you live in a flood risk property?
When the Cocker Beck gauge goes above 0.6m start putting on your first level of flood defences. While it has never flooded when the Beck just reaches 0.6m, the beck could go higher (due to past or future rainfall in the catchment area) so use this as a trigger to do something to protect your property.
You and your neighbours may be able to loan flood blocks from FLAG in advance of an event. Please email Lowdhamflag@gmail.com with Flood Block Loan in the subject to ask for an application form.
Below are a series of links to provide information in the event of a likely flood:
Our website at https://lowdhamvolunteers.org/flooding-key-info/ – Dashboard of information
Useful contacts and advice in the event of a flood https://lowdhamvolunteers.org/emergency/
Blocked Drains
FLAG monitors the status of drains and key assets in the area. This is shown on the ‘Lowdham Culverts’ layer on the map (accessible from https://lowdhamvolunteers.org/flooding/ )
You can request a drain clear from Nottingham County Council if you suspect a blocked drain
https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/roads/report-a-flooding-or-drainage-problem
Also, see there flooding information page here .
You can request a street clean from Newark and Sherwood District Council here .
Weather Forecasts
You can download the Met Office app to your phone here
Weather Forecasts do differ so use the one you ‘believe’ in. The Accuweather forecast is usually very accurate within their 120-minute window (handy for knowing when the rain will stop – but remember the rain that falls upstream takes a while to reach Lowdham so the beck can rise for at least an hour after rain stops).
The Met Office have explained that certain clouds (Cumulonimbus) are worse than others at causing large downfalls. Here is a picture of what these look like Cumulonimbus Clouds and the Wiki definition is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_cloud. Clouds do not have to be black to contain large amounts of rainfall. It depends on the conditions and the process of cloud formation: for example, how the water particles coalesce, the speed with which it happens, whether there are ice particles. This is all directly connected to what is happening in the upper atmosphere. Some clouds can look really threatening but produce nothing at all. Cumulonimbus clouds more often than not will produce precipitation but not necessarily during their decaying phase.
Ground Saturation
The condition of the ground determines how much rainwater seeps into the ground or runs off. The term the EA use is Soil Moisture Deficiency. The EA do publish weekly rainfall summaries which are useful in determining how much rain has fallen. This is published here.