Flood Prevention Tips for Kent Homeowners: Preparing Your Drains

January 9, 2025

Kent is a beautiful county, but it is also an area susceptible to flooding. With its varied landscape of rivers, coastlines, and low-lying areas, homeowners in Kent need to be prepared for the possibility of flooding. Here we offer information and practical tips to help Kent homeowners safeguard their properties from flood damage, with a focus on preparing drains for potential flooding.

Understanding Flood Risks in Kent

Before looking at specific prevention measures, it’s important to understand the types of flooding that can occur in Kent. The county faces risks from various sources:

Fluvial Flooding: This occurs when rivers overtop their banks due to heavy rainfall or prolonged periods of rain. The Rivers Medway, Beult, Stour, and Darent pose significant fluvial flood risks. In addition to these rivers, smaller streams can pose a risk, especially during intense rainfall.
Coastal Flooding: Areas along the Kent coastline are vulnerable to flooding from high tides and storm surges, especially during periods of heavy rainfall and strong winds. Coastal erosion can also increase flood risk in these areas.
Surface Water Flooding: This happens when rainfall overwhelms the drainage system, accumulating water on roads and properties. Kent has a high risk of surface water flooding. This is partly due to the county’s topography and the presence of impermeable surfaces in urban areas.
Groundwater Flooding: This occurs when underground water levels rise and saturate the ground, potentially affecting basements and ground floors. While less common, groundwater flooding has been recorded in areas around Yalding, Loose, Boughton Monchelsea, Leeds, Ulcombe, and Harrietsham. These areas are located above the Lower Greensand Group, an aquifer that can become saturated during prolonged periods of rainfall.

It’s important to note that flood risks can change over time due to factors such as urbanisation, changing weather patterns, and climate change. The recent increase in heavy rainfall events suggests that Kent may experience more frequent and severe flooding in the future.

Furthermore, community-level preparedness plays a vital role in flood resilience. Flood Wardens are volunteers who help coordinate activities in their communities during a flood, assisting emergency responders and ensuring residents know the risks and how to respond. Kent has over 200 Flood Wardens, and homeowners are encouraged to join these initiatives to strengthen community flood resilience.

General Flood Prevention Tips for Kent Homeowners

Protecting your home from flooding involves a combination of preventative measures and preparedness. Here are some essential tips for Kent homeowners:

Stay Informed: Regularly check weather forecasts and pay attention to flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency. Sign up for the Environment Agency’s free flood warning service to receive alerts about potential flooding in your area.
Know Your Risk: Use online resources like this flood map to determine your property’s flood risk and understand the potential sources of flooding in your area.
Create a Flood Plan: Make a flood plan outlining the steps you’ll take before, during, and after a flood. This should include contact information for emergency services, insurance providers, and a plan for evacuating your family and pets.
Prepare a Flood Kit: Assemble a flood kit containing essential items such as torches, batteries, waterproof clothing, first aid supplies, bottled water, and non-perishable food.
Insurance: Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage for flood damage. Discuss flood insurance with your provider, even if your property is not in a high-risk flood zone, as flooding can occur unexpectedly.
Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Measures: Consider installing PFR measures to minimize flood damage. These can include flood doors, barriers, non-return valves, airbrick covers, and sump pumps. The National Flood Forum’s Blue Pages guide provides comprehensive information on various flood protection products, including capital costs, fitting costs, and maintenance requirements.
Move Valuables: In the event of a flood warning, move valuable items and furniture upstairs or to a safe location. This includes important documents, electronics, and sentimental items.
Turn Off Utilities: If you need to evacuate your home during a flood, remember to turn off your mains water, gas, and electricity. Locate your water stop tap (stopcock), gas shut-off valve, and electrical main switch beforehand so you can quickly turn off these utilities in an emergency.

Flood-Resilient Construction and Renovation Tips

If you’re building a new home or renovating an existing property in Kent, consider incorporating flood-resilient construction techniques and materials to minimize potential damage:

Flooring: Use ceramic tiles on the ground floor with waterproof adhesive and use rugs instead of fitted carpets. Tiles are more resistant to water damage and easier to clean after a flood.
Walls: Install closed-cell type insulation in cavity walls and use lime plaster instead of gypsum plaster. Lime plaster allows walls to “breathe” and dry out more quickly after flooding.
Electricals: Raise the height of electrical sockets to at least 1.5 meters above ground floor level. This helps protect electrical systems from floodwater. Consider separating electrical circuits for upper and lower floors to minimize disruption in case of flooding.
Doors and Windows: Install a flood-resistant front door and replace wooden window frames and doors with man-made ones like UPVC, which are more water-resistant and easier to clean.
Appliances: Elevate essential appliances like the boiler, washing machine, and dryer. Consider moving the boiler to an upper floor or wall-mounting it on the ground floor.

Preparing Your Drains for Flooding

Drains play a vital role in managing water flow and preventing flooding. Here’s how Kent homeowners can prepare their drains:

Regular Maintenance: Regularly inspect and unblock drains to ensure they are free of leaves, debris, and other obstructions that can prevent water flow. This is especially important before the rainy season, typically from October to March when drains are more likely to become blocked with leaves and debris. Clear any blockages promptly to prevent water from accumulating and potentially causing flooding.

Install Non-Return Valves: Non-return valves are essential for preventing floodwater from backing up into your property through the drains. These valves allow water to flow out of your property but prevent it from flowing back in. Consider installing non-return valves on all drains, including those connected to toilets, sinks, and showers.

Consider Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS): SuDS are designed to manage rainwater runoff by mimicking natural drainage patterns. These systems can help reduce the burden on traditional drainage systems and minimize the risk of surface water flooding. SuDS also offer benefits such as improved water quality and enhanced biodiversity. Examples of SuDS that homeowners can implement include:

Permeable Paving: Allows rainwater to infiltrate the ground, reducing runoff.
Rain Gardens: Depressions in the ground planted with water-tolerant vegetation that absorb and filter rainwater.
Green Roofs: Roofs covered with vegetation that absorb rainwater and reduce runoff.

Report Blocked Drains: If you notice a blocked drain on your property or in your neighborhood, report it to Kent County Council. Blocked drains can contribute to localized flooding, so prompt reporting is essential.

Case Study In Yalding

The Environment Agency has implemented PFR measures in Yalding, focusing on properties along the River Beult and High Street. Yalding, located at the confluence of the Rivers Medway and Beult, is an area with a history of significant flooding. In 2021, Yalding experienced an intense rainfall event that was assessed as an approximate 1 in 108-year event. This event caused widespread flooding, highlighting the area’s vulnerability to fluvial flooding. Previous flood events, such as those in 2000/01, also caused significant damage in Yalding.

In response to these recurring flood events, various flood prevention measures have been implemented in Yalding. These include:

Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Measures: The Environment Agency has fitted PFR measures to a number of properties in Yalding, primarily along the River Beult and High Street. These measures help protect individual properties from floodwater ingress.
Leigh Flood Storage Area: This flood storage area, constructed in 2014, is designed to reduce flood risk to Tonbridge and Maidstone by holding back floodwater from the River Medway. The storage area features a control structure with three steel radial gates that can be used to regulate water flow.
Natural Flood Management (NFM): The South East Rivers Trust has implemented NFM measures in the Medway catchment, including Yalding. These measures involve working with natural processes to reduce flood risk. Examples include restoring ancient woodland to intercept rainwater and installing large woody structures in streams to slow down water flow.

These measures demonstrate a multi-faceted approach to flood prevention in Yalding, combining individual property protection with larger-scale flood management strategies and natural flood management techniques.

Understanding Flood Risks

Flooding can have devastating consequences for homeowners in Kent. By understanding the various flood risks in the county, taking preventative measures, and preparing your drains, you can significantly reduce the potential for flood damage and protect your property and belongings.

Drain maintenance is a crucial aspect of flood prevention. Regularly cleaning your drains, installing non-return valves, and considering SuDS can help ensure that rainwater flows freely and doesn’t accumulate around your property.

Individual actions, such as those outlined in this article, are essential for building community-wide flood resilience. By working together with local authorities, the Environment Agency, and community initiatives like Flood Wardens, Kent homeowners can create a more resilient and flood-prepared county.