Five Flood Warnings for the Isle of Wight

This afternoon the Environment Agency has issued five separate flood warnings for the high tide around midnight tonight.

With flood alerts in place for the coast around the whole Island, the Isle of Wight Council is urging the general public to avoid using coastal paths and stay away from affected coastal areas, especially during the times specified. 

The five areas of the Island that have active flood warnings are: 

Freshwater Bay

• High tide is at 23:25
• The total forecast tide is 3.98 metres Chart Datum at Yarmouth
• For 1 hour either side of high water, overtopping at Freshwater Bay sea front is expected
• The tide will flood Gate Lane and the A3055 near Afton Road
• Significant amounts of water will surround the Albion Hotel and Lifeboat Station which may cause internal flooding
• The EAs Flood Warning Duty Officer estimates approximately 1 property may be at risk of flooding

Yarmouth

• High tide at 23:25
• The total forecast tide is 3.98 metres Chart Datum
• For 1 hour either side of high water, overtopping will occur at Quay Street, Pier Square, Mill Road and Gasworks Lane
• The ferry terminal car park and ticket office will also be flooded
• The EAs Flood Warning Duty Officer estimates approximately 5 properties may be at risk of flooding from this event

Gurnard

• Tuesday's early morning high tide is at 00:00
• The total forecast tide is 5.29 metres Chart Datum at Cowes
• The tide level is predicted to be higher than recorded on 14 Feb 2014 when 2 properties flooded
• For 1 hour either side of high tide, properties directly on the sea front at Marsh Road could flood
• Tidal water will flow across Marsh Road bridge and fill the Gurnard Luck which could cause garden flooding to properties nearest to the river
• The EAs Flood Warning Duty Officer estimates approximately 5 properties may be at risk of flooding from this event

Cowes, East Cowes and Newport

• Tuesday's early morning high tide is at 00:00
• The total forecast tide is 5.29 metres Chart Datum at Cowes
• The tide could be the highest recorded
• For 1 hour either side of high water, property flooding is expected:
• Cowes - at the bottom of Medina Road, near the floating bridge, High Street & the Esplanade, Parade, Egypt Point and sea front parking areas will be flooded and impassable in places
• East Cowes - Albany Road, Well Road, York Avenue, Castle Street, Ferry Road

• The EAs Flood Warning Duty Officer estimates approximately 10 properties may be at risk of flooding from this event

Wootton

• Tuesday's early morning high tide is at 00:00
• The total forecast tide is 4.60 metres Chart Datum at Ryde
• The tide level will be higher than on 14 Feb 2014
• For 1 hour either side of high water, the tide will flood a small number of properties at Mill Square and Wootton Bridge near the Sloop
• The EAs Flood Warning Duty Officer estimates approximately 5 properties may be at risk of flooding from this event

The Isle of Wight Council has prepared some helpful advice.  

Prepare for flooding 

• 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.
• You can also make a personal flood plan or a flood plan for communities and groups.
• The government website also provides advice for businesses on how they prepare for flooding.
• 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

Sandbags are being deployed throughout the afternoon and will be available to residents in the following locations:

• St Mary’s Carpark, Cowes
• Well Road, East Cowes
• Simeon Street Recreation Ground, Ryde
• Wootton – adj. slipway at Mill Square
• Gurnard – junction of Rew street and Lower Church Rd
• Newport – Newport Harbour junction of Sea Street.
• Yarmouth – Riverway Car Park

Who to contact in the event of a flood?

• For key contact information and advice, visit our flooding page: Flooding (iow.gov.uk) 
• To report flooding in your area, or to contact your local Environment Agency Duty Officer, call the Incident Communication Service on 0845 850 3518.

To check the latest information for your area:

• Visit the GOV.UK website to see the current flood warnings, view river and sea levels or check the 5-day flood risk forecast: Flood warning for Cowes, East Cowes, and Newport - GOV.UK (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk)
• Follow @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter.
• Further detailed forecasting from the Met Office: Weather and climate change - Met Office

Depending on the situation there are several organisations that you may need to contact;

• If you need to be evacuated because of severe flooding or damage, contact the police or dial 999
• For general issues around flooding, contact us on 01983 823600
• If you believe the flooding is from a main river or the sea, contact the Environment Agency on 0800 807 060
• The Environment Agency also provides help on flooding issues via its Floodline on 0345 988 1188 using quickdial code: 316128.
• To report flooding on the highway or drainage issues, contact Island Roads on 01983 822440  
• Notify Southern Water if flooding affects your mains sewage/public drains on 0330 303 0368
• Notify the National Grid to report a gas leak as the result of flooding on 0800 111 999
• Notify SSEN of electrical issues such as power cuts by calling 105
• For non-emergency calls pertaining to vulnerable older people, call adult services on 01983 823340 (01983 821105 out of hours)