Flooding advice - Print version

Coventry is fortunate that it has not historically suffered from widespread flooding, however, such incidents can occur, sometimes arising only in localised areas. In such circumstances we hope that you will find this advice useful.

Types of flooding

Floods can happen anywhere at anytime caused by Severn Trent Water burst water mains, run-off from sudden rainfall overloading Severn Trent Water sewers, as well as main rivers, watercourses, large water bodies such as reservoirs and groundwater. Even if you live miles away from a river there is still a chance flooding from other sources could affect you.

The most common sources of flooding are:

• River flooding occurs when a river cannot cope with the water draining into it from the surrounding watercourses and land
• Watercourse flooding occurs when a watercourse or drainage ditch cannot cope with the water draining into it from the surrounding land
• Sewer flooding occurs when Severn Trent Water owned sewers are overwhelmed by heavy rainfall or when they become blocked. The likelihood of flooding depends on the capacity of the local sewerage system
• Groundwater flooding occurs when water levels in the ground rise above surface levels. It is most likely to occur in areas underlain by permeable rocks, called aquifers;
• Reservoir flooding occurs when the retaining wall of a reservoir is breached and causes flooding 

Further information is available from the Environment Agency's Floodline service on 0345 988 1188.

Coventry rivers and drainage

There are two main principle rivers across Coventry – the River Sowe and the River Sherbourne.

A main river is defined by the Environment Agency as appearing on the statutory main river maps held by the Environment Agency and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

• The River Sowe is largely classified as Main River through Coventry and drains the eastern side of the city.
• The River Sherbourne is the principle river running through Coventry with an 8-10km length upstream of the city centre where it is culverted for approximately 1.7km.

There are also seven local brooks such as Canley Brook, Withy Brook and Guphill Brook that drain the city. There are also other watercourses including the Radford, Springfield and Hall Brooks, which were mostly diverted into culverts by Coventry City Council.

The surface water drainage of the city is by a combination of Severn Trent Water owned sewers and highway drains, ranging in size from small local sewer systems up to main valley trunk sewers.

Why do roads flood?

A very important feature of road construction is drainage. New roads include designed drainage systems intended to remove water efficiently from the surface of the highway to provide a safe passage for all vehicles and pedestrians.

Older roads may have less sophisticated drainage, but all have features to take the water away from the road surface. It is necessary to clean and maintain these drainage provisions so that they can work properly.

Problems can occur even when drainage provisions are clean and well maintained. Flooded and waterlogged roads result when the amount of water arriving on the road is greater than the capacity of the drainage facilities that take it away.

Drainage grills and gratings (e.g. on gullies) can become blocked very quickly when materials like mud are deposited on the road or when there is a heavy fall of leaves. If a flooded road is caused by a ruptured water main, the water company will be responsible for repairing the damage.

Water is directed to drains by the road profile.  Puddles (standing water) tend to occur if there is a depression in the road. This can sometimes be resolved where necessary by local road surface patching.

Are you at risk from flooding?

The Environment Agency state that over five million people are at risk from flooding in the UK, the flood map [https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk] on their website shows how vulnerable your property may be to flooding. 

The Environment Agency monitors river levels throughout Coventry, and you can check you local river level [http://www.gov.uk/prepare-for-a-flood/find-out-if-youre-at-risk] to find out if you are at risk.

If you are in a high flood risk area, Flood Re is a national scheme introduced to help provide better access to affordable home insurance. Please see the Flood Re leaflet [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/4340/flood_re_leaflet], as well as http://www.floodre.co.uk [http://www.floodre.co.uk/] for detailed information about how the scheme will work. 

Since 2022, the National Flood Forum [https://nationalfloodforum.org.uk/] has supported individuals and communities across the country who are at risk from flooding. It is an independent charity that helps people to recover after they have been flooded, as well as supporting communities to manage their flood risk. The authorities and government must provide help to communities at risk from flooding, and the National Flood Forum represents those at risk to ensure this happens. 

Prepare for flooding

Coventry is not in a main flood risk area, as defined by the Environment Agency (E.A.). However, the volume of rain that fell on the city during 2007 produced problems and difficulties very similar to those experienced in E.A. defined main flood areas. Whilst you cannot always stop flooding, with the right preparations in advance, and by responding swiftly to warnings when they are issued, there is a great deal you can do to reduce the impact of a flood.

Don't wait until flooding looks likely as you won't have time to buy or put the measures in place. The key is to act now so you're prepared if there's a flood in your area.

Ensure that you have adequate buildings and contents insurance cover. Advise your insurance company if you live in a flood risk area. FloodRe [https://www.floodre.co.uk/] makes insurance available and affordable to homes that are affected by flooding. 

Making your property resilient to floodwater will limit the distress and damage caused by flooding, which means less costly repairs and less time out of your home or business premises.

The Environment Agency has produced flood awareness guides [https://www.gov.uk/prepare-for-a-flood] that give practical advice about how to protect your property from flooding and what to do before, during and after a flood incident.

Download a copy of the What should I do when it floods? [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flooding-what-to-do-before-during-and-after-a-flood] guide.

The Blue Pages Directory [http://www.bluepages.org.uk/] is an independent directory of flood protection products and services. It has been put together by the National Flood Forum to advise and inform the public about what's available to protect your home or business against flooding.

Sandbags

Please see the Sandbag policy [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/70/water_management_and_flooding/2839/sandbags] for more information about flood protection.