The Environment Agency has set up a ‘one stop shop’ for flood advice to mark Flood Action Week, which starts today.

Flood Action Week 2026 runs from October 12-18, and is the Environment Agency’s annual campaign to help people understand their flood risk and take simple steps to prepare before the winter flood season.

The campaign comes as the government has set an "ambitious" target of improving flood protection for 200,000 properties, according to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Flood Action Online

The new information hub, 'Flood Action Online', is intended to help people understand flood risks in their home and what practical steps are needed in order to reduce them.

It brings together clear, actionable guidance, includes how people can find out if they are at risk of flooding, and get access to flood warnings and Met Office weather alerts.

Homeowners can also identify practical changes, like property flood resilience measures, to become more resilient to flooding.  

According to executive director for floods at the Environment Agency, Caroline Douglass, it has never been more important for people to understand what they can do to prepare. 

“As we head into the winter, our teams are ready to respond around the clock, backed by hundreds of pumps and kilometres of temporary barriers.”

Investment

According to Defra, the government is investing £4.2 billion from April 2026 to March 2029 to repair and replace existing flood defences and construct new ones, with hundreds of projects set to be completed.

The new target for 200,000 properties to benefit from this investment will "deliver a total economic benefit of £27.9 billion in avoided damage as communities gain better protection and growth is delivered in every postcode", Defra said.   

The government spent £2.65 billion in its first two years on flood defences, "with almost 62,000 properties better protected", which Defra said exceeded the original target of 52,000

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said, “This government has ambitious targets and historic investment to support the country against severe weather.

According to Defra, the investment will allow for "the stabilisation of existing assets after years of decline".

The percentage of assets at or above their required condition rose to 93% by the end of March 2026, the department said.

The government is also aiming for asset conditions to rise further to 93.5% by March 2029. 

Environment Agency

Throughout the year, the Environment Agency maintains 260 mobile pumps, including 17 ultra-high-volume pumps.

It also has 25lm of temporary barriers ready to be deployed wherever needed.  

A 24/7 response to flooding emergencies is in place, which has 600 people on call at any one time and plans in place to escalate its response when needed.

Free flood warnings are available to help people prepare for and reduce any impact from flooding on their lives.