Flooding Officer offers advice on how to 'Stand Up To Flooding'

Laura Sherrard is a Community Flooding Officer who covers Leicestershire for Severn Trent Water.
Ahead of Flood Action Week, she explains how putting ‘boots on the ground’ is helping to raise awareness of flooding and bridge the gap between the company and its customers.

What does a Community Flooding Officer do?

Our priority is to get out into communities to speak to flood victims, and residents at risk of flooding, and advise them on what their options are and what help is available. 

Every type of flooding is different so we help to explain who does what and steer them in the right direction depending on the type of flooding. We’re also here to reassure people and to support them through the emotional side of things.

What can people do if they’re at risk of flooding?

Prevention is key. We actively help people with prevention and mitigation. When we’re out in communities, we talk to anybody who has been previously flooded and gather as much information as we can using our flooding questionnaire.

If they would benefit from Property Flood Resilience (PFR), we take those details back to our mitigation team who will look at each case and its priority.

Can people contact you if they’re worried about flooding?

Absolutely. If people want help, if they flood, they can get in touch with us. We’ll also check existing PFR, for instance, by checking seals on doors and gates, and monitoring the effectiveness of non-return valves.

What do you like about your job?

99.9 per cent of the people we talk to give really positive feedback and are really happy to have boots on the ground, to see a human being who can empathise and have a conversation with them face-to-face. We’re there to bridge the gap between the company and the customers.

I just love the ethos of what I do. It’s all about putting the customer first.

How important is partnership working to tackle flooding issues?

It’s vital. Not all flooding is the same. There can be more than one root cause. It is so important that, as partner organisations, we have these conversations and work together to get the best outcomes for the customer. 

The LRF has lots more information about how to prepare for winter risks, including advice and useful links to help people and communities 'Stand up to Flooding'.