When the Met Office forecast windy conditions, motorists and pedestrians are advised to take extra care and to watch out for fallen trees and debris. To help, we have put together a number of safety tips and advice in order to help keep you safe during this type of adverse weather.
- Be aware of possible road disruption and trees down
- Secure any building site scaffolding
- Make any unsecured buildings safe
- As a pedestrian, be aware of falling debris
- Pay attention when driving, slow down and be aware of side winds and be particularly conscious of the dangers posed by debris that may have blown into the roadway.
- Be extra careful when driving on exposed routes such as bridges or high open roads and find alternative route where possible. High wind may cause difficult driving conditions, especially to high-sided vehicles.
- Take extra care when driving vehicles, caravans and motorbikes due to the increased risk of vehicles being blown over.
Please note: If you are affected by a fallen tree, this should be reported to the local highways authority as these are the ones that deal with these issues. The police only need to be involved if there is a significant risk to others OR there has been a collision AND someone is injured
Floods can occur at any point of time, weather it is summer or winter. We would always advice members of the public to prepare for the worst case scenario so, if it was to ever happen, they would always be prepared. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue have attended emergency calls to people trapped by floods in their homes and vehicles. The National Flooding Forum advise:
“Do not approach any fast flowing water or deep standing water. If you enter swiftly flowing water, you risk drowning, regardless of your ability to swim. Six inches depth of fast flowing water can sweep a 4×4 vehicle off a road.”
In the event of a flood we would advice you to follow the safety advice below:
- Never attempt to drive through a flood when you don’t know the depth. If you cannot see the road surface beneath the water, it’s too deep! Just six inches of water can cause you to lose control of your car or stall it when water is sucked into the engine and exhaust.
- Two feet of flowing water can sweep away most vehicles (including large 4x4s). Most cars will start to float in as little as a foot of water.
- If you come across a flooded road – always find an alternative route. Don’t ignore Road Closed signs – they have been put out for your safety.
- Do not attempt to walk through flooded areas. Even shallow water moving fast can sweep you off your feet and there may be hidden dangers such as open drains or damaged road surfaces, which can cause serious injuries or even death.
- Do not travel in heavy rain storms unless absolutely necessary.
- If your home does start to flood, turn off your electricity supply.
- Listen out for warnings on radio and TV If you know your home is at risk of flooding, prepare a list of useful phone numbers and keep it somewhere safe.
- Following a flood in your home, make sure all electrical circuits are fully dried out and checked by an electrical engineer before switching back on.
For information on flooding in your area, visit the Enviromental Agency website below:
More information can be found below:
Parents should warn their children of the dangers of frozen water. Supervise younger children at all times and teach children not to go on to frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs under any circumstances. Children and pets are particularly at risk when tempted to play on the ice formed on open water during cold weather. If possible find other areas to walk your animals and eliminate any risk to them and yourself. Keep animals on leads at all times when you are near to the water. If a person or animal falls into frozen water, call 999 straight away and ask for assistance. The fire and rescue service are specially trained and equipped to deal with these incidents safely.
DO NOT GO ONTO THE ICE OR ENTER THE WATER!
Bystanders should shout reassurance to casualties without endangering themselves. Encourage the casualty to conserve their energy by keeping as still as possible.
More information can be found by visiting the following websites: