Communities urged to ‘Stand up to Flooding’ and ‘Be Risk Ready’ after second wettest February on record

Communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) experienced their second wettest February on record in 2026 with 125.5mm of rain – making it the wettest since 1977*.

These latest figures from the Met Office – which show that February’s rain was 277% of the long-term average for February - have prompted flood experts at the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to call on communities to do more to ‘Stand up to Flooding’ and be ‘risk ready’ all year round.

Barrow-upon-Soar and Littlethorpe are among the communities which have already taken steps to keep flooding at bay. 

At Barrow, the parish council has installed two pumps and a storage cabin for sandbags at the village cemetery, using funding from Charnwood Borough Council’s flood locker scheme. It’s also received money from Leicestershire County Council for warning signs to alert motorists to flooding on Slash Lane, a wellknown flooding hotspot.

In Littlethorpe, residents Mark and Sharon have installed £15,000 worth of flood defences at their home after it flooded twice in just over a year. They were supported by a £5,000 Property Flood Resilience (PFR) government repair grant, administered by Leicestershire County Council, towards the cost of a flood survey, flood door, flood barrier and flood resilient air bricks.  

Mark and Sharon have also joined other residents in Narborough and Littlethorpe to set up their own Community Response Team following the increase in flooding incidents. 

Volunteer  Flood Warden Dave Ovington-Creighton, who is a member of the group, supported residents including Mark and Sharon during both floods.

Flooding seems to have got worse since 2024 so the community has come together to try to do something about it.

“As Flood Warden for the last 20 years, I’ve always had a lot of support from the local community but this is different – there are a lot more people getting on board and looking at ways to make a difference, support each other and reduce the risk of flooding.

Dave Ovington-Creighton, Volunteer Flood Warden and member of Narborough and Littlethorpe Community Response Team

All communities are now being urged to:

  • Know their flood risk
  • Sign up for free flood alerts and warnings
  • Create a Community Response Plan (including a response to flooding)
  • Recruit their own volunteer Flood Wardens
  • Sign up to the free Risk Ready Communities programme, which includes access to free webinars, workshops and in-person events

 

More useful information to help prepare for flooding can be found on the LRF’s ‘Stand up to Flooding’ page.

Read Sharon and Mark's full story.

*Interestingly, March 2026 was drier than average, with around 65% of the long‑term average rainfall recorded. Because conditions can change quickly, it's a good idea to keep up to date with the latest forecast using the Met Office website and app, as well as trusted local media channels. Periods of more extreme weather and rapid transitions between different weather types are expected to become increasingly common.