Flood advice and guidance – IW Council’s contact centre on 01983 823111 and Council website which includes latest updates. Southern Water for anyone whose water goes off and is vulnerable, call 0330 303 0368. Latest flood warnings – Environment Agency website. Sign up to flood warnings on the government website

The last few days have seen very heavy rains and immense damage and disruption across the Island. Locally, we’ve seen the awful impact on Hunnyhill Aquatics in particular.

I’ve welcomed the call by the leader of Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Phil Jordan, for an urgent review of the actions taken by all those who have a role in responding to the effects of heavy rain and flooding. All staff have worked hard to minimise the effects as things unfolded. So it will be about working out if any preparations and decisions could have been made in advance.

Earlier this week the government announced financial help for businesses and households affected by Storm Babet. Hopefully, the government will ensure the Isle of Wight will be included in the areas that will benefit.

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In the meantime, Isle of Wight Council has issued this advice (which is also on their website):

In some emergency situations, we will instruct Island Roads to position stocks of sandbags at the following locations: Well Road, East Cowes Simeon Street Recreation Ground, Ryde St Mary’s Car Park, Cowes Carisbrooke High Street, Car park Lugley Street Car Park, Newport Brookfield Gardens, Binstead Additional sandbag locations may be identified based upon the forecast impacts of flooding and in areas where the Environment Agency has advised that there is a potential risk of flooding. Please keep a watch on Isle of Wight Facebook / our news pages for additional locations. Unused sandbags Wherever possible, store full bags that have not come into contact with floodwater in a dry shady place to use again if you need them in the future. Sacking material is normally biodegradable and will perish if left in place for a long time. It is therefore advisable to empty sacks and keep them dry for re-use. Store the sand in your garden, or yard for future use. If you do not want to store the sand or the bags, once empty the bags can be placed in your normal household waste and the sand dug into the garden, if you have one, or taken to the household waste recycling centre. Used sandbags Sandbags tend to retain contaminants such as sewage and oils when they come into contact with floodwater. Ensure you wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly after handling. If sandbags are contaminated by floodwater you should take them to your local household waste recycling centre and inform the staff that they have been contaminated. Where this is not possible you should seek advice from us on 01983 823111 to find out if other options are available to dispose of the sandbags. Do not place full sandbags or the sand in you household waste. Do not allow children to play with the sand or place it in sand pits due to the risks from possible contamination. If in doubt, contact the council’s environmental health department on 01983 823000 for advice. Used sandbags are not classified as contaminated if: – used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had no or short term and limited exposure to sewage – do not smell of sewage or oil – shows no visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil Used sandbags are classified as contaminated if: – used to retain raw sewage – used to protect / retain sources of oil – used to retain surface water / ground water, which has had continual exposure to sewage or oils smells of sewage or oil – shows visual signs of being contaminated by sewage or oil If there has been widespread flooding and large quantities of sandbags have been deployed, we may arrange for the collection of used sandbags from specific collection points. If this is the case, we will provide details on where and when collections will be undertaken. After a flood In the event of a flood, try to avoid contact with the flood water. Do not drive through flood water and do not let children play in it. Take care if you must go through flood water as there could be hidden dangers like sharp objects, raised manhole covers and pollution. When cleaning up after a flood, wear rubber gloves, boots and eye protection, and wash your hands afterwards. If your home is flooded, do not use petrol or diesel generators indoors to dry out your home. The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, which can kill. The Environment Agency has produced a leaflet called What do I do after a flood? (PDF, 213KB) to assist residents and businesses after a flood. Waste Residents should speak with their insurers to see if they will cover waste disposal costs for a private waste carrier and should always should ensure their insurance are happy for them to start clearing the property. Where possible, residents should use Household Waste Recycling Centre’s (free for householders to take their waste)  or the Bulky Waste (£40 for up to 4 items).  In respect of uninsured persons, we will review requests for assistance on a case by case basis to ensure those who are vulnerable and in financial hardship are provided assistance.  Replacement Bins Many properties will have lost bins in the floods – in these circumstances free black bins can be made available as well as usual recycling receptacles. Preparing for a flood You can prepare for flooding by following some simple steps: Check the Environment Agency website to find out if your area is at risk from flooding and advice on how to protect your property. Make a personal flood plan or a flood plan for communities and groups. Prepare your business for flooding using advice on the government wesite. Sign up online for floodline warnings direct. It is a free service that provides flood warnings direct to you by telephone, mobile or email. You can also sign up by calling 0345 988 1188.