FloodSax alternative sandbags save people from the misery of being flooded

Floods are ‘here to stay’ says MPs as they speak out over lack of Government funding for vulnerable flood-risk communities

Local councils don’t have the money or resources to help people protect their homes and businesses from flooding, warns an influential group of MPs.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee also says 5.2 million homes are now at risk of flooding in the UK and says that if the Government doesn’t take flood prevention action now it will cost a lot more in the future.

Committee chairman Neil Parish told the Environment Journal: “We must accept that as floods are here to stay, so must the defences we build. Long-term funding is needed, committing to the maintenance of existing and future defences.

“Meanwhile, local authorities lack the competencies and resources they need to factor flood projections into planning and development decisions. This must be addressed.”

He added: “If the government will not set well-defined targets for flood resilience it will waste millions of pounds playing catch-up.”

The report also says that severe flooding can have a major impact on mental health (http://www.floodsax.co.uk/news/why-flooding-can-have-a-severe-impact-on-your-mental-health/) and an action plan is needed to tackle this.

A Defra spokesperson told the Environment Journal: “We are investing a record £5.2 billion in 2,000 new flood and coastal defences between 2021-27, better protecting 336,000 properties and building on the significant progress already made to respond to climate change.

“We have a comprehensive long-term plan to invest in new defence assets.”

Many people don’t realise that councils in the UK have no responsibility to provide sandbags so people need to protect their own homes and businesses from flooding.

Some councils recommend FloodSax (www.floodsax.co.uk) alternative sandbags for flood protection which are a flexible alternative to traditional sandbags and are space-saving to store and quick and easy to deploy.

When FloodSax come into contact with water they absorb 20 litres which transforms them from being as light as a pillowcase to being more effective than traditional sandbags in just three minutes.

More than 2.5 million have now been sold worldwide.

To buy FloodSax go to http://www.floodsax.co.uk/buy/uk-suppliers/

To read the full Environment Journal story go to https://environmentjournal.online/articles/mps-warn-5-2m-properties-at-risk-of-flooding/