Yorkshire and The Humber: 2026-27 El Niño preparation
In an emergency, or if life is at risk, call 999 (or 112). Follow the advice of your local council, the emergency services and official flood and weather warnings. They override this checklist.
Download the printable checklist (PDF)
Top 10 actions
- Your actual bill depends on usage, region and payment method; fixed tariffs are not affected by this cap changeKey date: Ofgem announces the January to March 2027 price cap on 25 Nov 2026. source
- The service assesses area risk; it does not predict whether an individual property will flood
- Storm guidance advises avoiding objects and structures that could be damaged or fall
- UKHSA says most flood-related health burden is mental health; official trauma page covers supporting children
- Free official service for river, sea and groundwater flooding; you cannot get flood warnings for surface-water flooding. Relevant to riverside areas of Calderdale, York, Leeds, Doncaster, Hull
- Official numbers on gov.uk and the cross-government flooding page
- National Severe Weather Warnings for wind, rain and snow-ice cover the zone's storm and cold hazards
- Cold-health alerts cover England; the core season is 1 November to 31 March, with exceptional alerts possible outside it
- Met Office: yellow warnings cover a range of situations so read the content; amber means increased likelihood of impacts that could disrupt plans; red means dangerous weather is expected and you should act now
- Environment Agency issues 3 levels in England; severe flood warnings can be issued before, during or after flooding; know which one needs action now
Official live tools and local help
- Sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings (phone, text, email) for your address
- Floodline 0345 988 1188 (24 hours); report severe river or coastal flooding to the Environment Agency incident hotline 0800 80 70 60
- Subscribe to Met Office email alerts / use the Met Office warnings page for your area
- UK Government Emergency Alerts: no sign-up needed; check your phone settings allow them
- Sign up for free UKHSA cold-health email alerts (1 November to 31 March)
- Check the 5-day flood forecast and live flood alerts and warnings for your area
- Calderdale Council: be prepared for flooding (Environment Agency three-point plan: prepare, act, survive; free flood warnings by Floodline 0345 988 1188 or online)
- Leeds City Council flooding page and report-a-flood contacts (online form; phone 0113 222 4407 Mon-Fri 9-5; out of hours 0113 376 0499)
- York: bookmark the council's emergency contacts page. Note: 0300 131 2131 is for social care and housing emergencies, not flooding
- Hull City Council: flood-aware pages and emergency flood advice (Hull surface-water and Humber tidal risk)
- City of Doncaster Council: emergencies page (customer services 01302 736000 in hours)
- British Red Cross: how to prepare for floods and flooding (links to storm and winter-warmth advice)
- For a power cut or electrical hazard call 105 (free). If you smell gas or a CO alarm sounds, call the Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 (free, 24 hours). For overflowing sewers contact your water company
- Learn what Met Office warning colours mean: yellow = read the warning to see which weather it covers; amber = possible travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and risk to life and property; red = dangerous weather, risk to life, take action now
- Learn the three England flood warning levels: flood alert = flooding is possible; flood warning = flooding is expected; severe flood warning = risk to life and significant disruption. Check your area at gov.uk/check-flooding or call Floodline 0345 988 1188
- York and North Yorkshire: find your Local Resilience Forum's emergency preparedness page
- Hull and the Humber: use the Humber Local Resilience Forum's emergency planning pages
- York: check current flood warnings, the 5-day regional flood forecast and river levels on GOV.UK
Water and food
- Current government preparedness guidance specifies 3 litres per person per day for drinking
- Power cuts can prevent cooking and refrigeration
- Food Standards Agency advice for power cuts; after a flood a separate rule applies (see the after-flood food row)
- Carbon monoxide risk; NHS says never use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or inside a tent
- gov.uk after-flood advice
- GOV.UK/FSA consumer advice (England, Northern Ireland and Wales): floodwater can contaminate food and fridges or freezers that touched it
- Environment Agency: using a little less water speeds recovery; the Met Office says flooding can still happen during a drought, so keep flood plans too
Power, heat and light
- Severe weather can damage electricity infrastructure; torches are safer than candles
- Cold weather and power cuts raise CO risk from faulty appliances and improvised heating; official cold-weather advice recommends both
- Faulty fuel-burning appliances and indoor use of barbecues, camping stoves or generators can cause CO poisoning
- Heating can fail during a power cut; blankets, warm clothes and closed curtains help retain warmth
- Mobile masts and broadband can fail in power cuts; the radio is the update channel
- Power cuts may disrupt internet and mobile access
- Your actual bill depends on usage, region and payment method; fixed tariffs are not affected by this cap changeKey date: Ofgem announces the January to March 2027 price cap on 25 Nov 2026. source
Flood and storm protection
- The service assesses area risk; it does not predict whether an individual property will flood
- Official advice: turn off supplies if you have to leave in a flood; find the stop tap, gas valve and fuse board now
- Reduces damage when flooding happens; GOV.UK points to the National Flood Forum and the Blue Pages directory for products and suppliers
- Plan own barriers or resilience measures instead; Hull may place sandbags at strategic points for collection but prioritises key infrastructure and vulnerable communities
- Strong winds can blow loose objects around and cause damage
- Storm guidance advises avoiding objects and structures that could be damaged or fall
- Storm winds and low pressure can cause coastal storm surges; check local warnings
- Floodwater can be deeper than it looks and can hide sewage, open manholes and debris. If you reach a flooded road, turn around and find another route. Driving through floodwater is the number one cause of death in floods.
- Be Ready: not evacuating or delaying evacuation can put your life at risk; pack a grab bag of essentials in advance
Home preparation
- Official flood page for the practical step
- Fire risk rises with improvised heating and lighting in power cuts; fire and rescue services advise monthly testing
- Keep the plan accessible with important documents; the current template is a PDF
- GOV.UK Get insurance page: landlord cover may not include tenants' items
- gov.uk after-flood and help-during-flood advice; row 14 covers only turning supplies off
- UKHSA flooding-and-health advice: exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide; floodwater can carry sewage
- Be Ready: slips, falls and car accidents rise on icy surfaces; the Met Office says cold spells remain possible later this winter
Documents
- Government guidance recommends copies of important documents and an accessible household plan
- Cross-government advice: write down a list of regular medication and keep paper instructions for devices
- Council emergency guidance includes pet identification, vaccination records and veterinary contacts
Children
- Cross-government guidance lists baby supplies for the kit
- Power cuts or water supply failures disrupt kettle and sterilising; NHS gives the safe method
- The Red Cross emergency kit list includes comfort items and activities for children
- Official advice on talking to children about emergencies
- Government guidance covers school closures, alternative childcare, meeting points and current school contact numbers
- UKHSA says most flood-related health burden is mental health; official trauma page covers supporting children
- Red Cross flood advice says not to allow children to play in or near floodwater
Older, disabled and medical needs
- Power cuts Dec-Mar; you may qualify if, for example, you are of pensionable age, have a child aged five or under, or rely on electricity, gas or water for medical needs
- Eligibility includes people using electrically powered medical equipment, pensionable age, children five or under
- Bottled-water delivery is a possible support measure, not a guarantee
- Government disability guidance recommends medication for several days and planning for equipment power loss
- Digital landlines and telecare may fail without electricity or internet; the free solution is conditional, not a universal battery entitlement
- Official advice for disabled people and carers; cold and power cuts hit older adults, babies and people with long-term conditions hardest
- Follow each medicine's leaflet. Some in-use insulin pens can stay at room temperature for up to 4 weeks, but not all insulins: check yours.
- Be Ready: older adults, babies, young children and people with long-term conditions are most at risk from the cold
Pets
- Council guidance includes carriers or leads, medicines and litter; government preparedness guidance includes pet food and water
- Council guidance recommends friends, relatives or suitable boarding; check your own council's pet policy rather than assuming rest centres accept pets
- Council guidance includes vaccination certificates; GOV.UK requires owners to keep microchip registration details up to date
Alerts and communication
- Free official service for river, sea and groundwater flooding; you cannot get flood warnings for surface-water flooding. Relevant to riverside areas of Calderdale, York, Leeds, Doncaster, Hull
- Official numbers on gov.uk and the cross-government flooding page
- National Severe Weather Warnings for wind, rain and snow-ice cover the zone's storm and cold hazards
- Alerts are sent for danger to life nearby, including severe flooding and extreme weather
- Cold-health alerts cover England; the core season is 1 November to 31 March, with exceptional alerts possible outside it
- Combined Met Office and Environment Agency forecast; the service also shows river, sea and groundwater levels
- Met Office: yellow warnings cover a range of situations so read the content; amber means increased likelihood of impacts that could disrupt plans; red means dangerous weather is expected and you should act now
- Environment Agency issues 3 levels in England; severe flood warnings can be issued before, during or after flooding; know which one needs action now
- GOV.UK Check for flooding in York: current flood warnings and alerts, the regional forecast for the next 5 days, and local river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels
Money and insurance
- Flood Re works through insurers and is due to run until 2039; eligibility differs between buildings and individual contents cover
- GOV.UK Get insurance page
- GOV.UK Get insurance page lists these; the EA letter is free and arrives within 20 days
- Government guidance recommends notes, coins and cards in case payments or ATMs are disrupted; the amount depends on household needs
- GOV.UK after-flood guidance
- Both depend on benefits; payments are usually automatic; a Cold Weather Payment is triggered when the average temperature is recorded or forecast at 0°C or below for 7 days in a row
Local help
- Council page follows the Environment Agency Prepare-Act-Survive plan and points to Floodline
- The council handles roads, public drains and ordinary watercourses; the Environment Agency handles main-river flooding
- The page separates the flooding-incidents route from the out-of-hours social care, housing and homelessness Emergency Duty Team
- Council page sets out Flood CPR advice and flood kit contents; see its emergency page for sandbag policy
- Council lists flooding advice, emergency planning and the South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum
- Charity guidance; use alongside gov.uk
- GOV.UK gives these reporting routes; identify the providers serving your address
- GOV.UK says contact the council for emergency housing if your home is flood damaged
- Standard emergency routes; gov.uk: call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- North Yorkshire Council: the LRF is a partnership that prepares for, responds to and recovers from major incidents and emergencies in York and North Yorkshire
- Humber LRF: supports individuals, businesses and communities with emergency planning