The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum has declared a major incident from midnight as Storm Ciaran moves in, bringing with it winds in excess of 80mph and further torrential downpours. Local authorities, emergency services and partner agencies are ready to support residents across the region overnight tonight and into Thursday. With a potential risk to life, risk of damage to buildings, falling trees leading to disruption to travel and an ongoing risk of flooding, the Local Resilience Forum has declared that their response will be escalated to ‘Major Incident’ status from 00:01 tomorrow morning. All partner agencies are continuing to plan ahead with arrangements to respond to weather related emergencies during this period. On the Isle of Wight, there are particular concerns around the Eastern Yar where there is a risk of significant flooding for the next 4 days or so. Properties at Nicholas Close, Brading and River View Court, Sandown are said to be particularly vulnerable. Islanders are advised to travel with care avoiding, as far as possible, coastal and wooded areas whilst winds are high.
Helpful resources for information, advice and support
Emergency 999 calls Use the 999 emergency number only if there is an immediate risk to life. Flooding See advice on how to prepare for flooding and check for updates relating to flood alerts for the area, can be found on The Environment Agency webpages For assistance in the event of flooding call 0345 988 1188 or text 0345 602 6340 Power Cuts Customers are encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by:
- Saving the emergency power cut number – ‘105’ – to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network
- Visiting SSEN’s Power Track Website to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through the Power Track app
- Going to SSEN’s website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to deal with a power cut, or to chat live to one of SSEN’s advisors via its Webchat service
Medical assistance If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, visit 111 online Urgent Treatment Centres and pharmacies are equipped to deal with minor injuries, such as cuts or sprains. Please only go to a hospital’s Emergency Department for life-threatening accidents and emergencies. Find details of pharmacies and Urgent Treatment Centres online You can also download the Healthier Together app for advice if you have children or carer responsibilities. The app can help you decide whether you can self-care at home or if you need help, and which service is best for the needs of children aged up to 18. It also provides advice and guidance for pregnant women. Issues on roads Extra highways crews are on standby to respond to the impact of Storm Ciaran and clear excess water and tree debris, prioritising main routes and routes to critical services. To report a highways issue visit https://www.iow.gov.uk/transport-and-parking/highways/highway-maintenance/. Public Health Advice The latest Public Health advice relating to flooding is available on the Government website: Flooding and health: advice for the public – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Council services and facilities For information about local services or facilities that may be affected by Storm Ciaran, including adult social care services, waste collections and libraries, check www.iwight.com.
