Are you protected against surface water flooding?

Mary Long-Dhonau OBE sitting by the River Severn

Did you know that an estimated 8,506 properties in Essex are at high risk of surface water flooding?

We spoke with Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, The Property Flood Resilience Champion, who shared her own flood story:

“We were totally unprepared. I had a young family, the youngest of whom had been recently diagnosed with severe autism and we were reeling from that news. We were also doing extensive renovations to our home, and my eldest son had a downstairs bedroom, whilst we pulled ceilings down and replastered walls upstairs.

During the night, he called me to say his bedroom was full of flood water - and it stank! When we went downstairs, I couldn’t believe my eyes as there was filthy stanching flood water everywhere! It was mostly sewage water, and the smell was horrific! At its worst, it was waist deep. The aftermath was terribly difficult and stressful, especially for my autistic son, as he had lost every single one of his toys in the flood. Due to his learning difficulties, he didn’t understand what on earth was going on.

Trying to cope with his needs, the needs of my other children and ‘project manage’ a building site that my home had become was very stressful. Many people think that a home can be repaired in a matter of weeks, but sadly that is not the case. It takes a long time for a home to be dried out and that has to be done before the building can be repaired. The average person is out of their home for about nine months after a flood.”

You can also watch Mary tell her story in a short video.

She also shared the devastation she felt about losing precious and irreplaceable memorabilia.

“I was saving all of my children’s memories from birth, such as hospital wristbands, pregnancy records, photos, nursery and school drawings from each term. I was planning on giving them to my children, wrapped up in a ribbon, on their 18th birthday as a memento but sadly, I lost everything in the flood water. It still brings tears to my eyes all these years on. My children now have children of their own and have nothing from their childhood to share with them. Since then, on every occasion I get, I tell people not to store anything of sentimental value where it could be destroyed by flood water!”

Mary has used her experiences to raise awareness and educate about flooding and what we can do to protect our homes and precious memories. If you're a homeowner, you might be eligible for the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant, which offers up to £8,000 in flood protection measures.

“If you have the chance to install Property Flood Resilience (PFR) do it! It’s a no brainer. PFR will give you back control to know that, should a surface water flood come, you’ll be better protected to keep the water out, for longer. Having the peace of mind that you can manage your own flood risk is very empowering!”

Check your flood risk and apply for the PFR grant by 30 November 2024.