How can you help prevent autumn flooding?

An appeal has been made for people to do their bit to lessen the risk of flooding.
Fallen leaves can lead to problems (file picture)Fallen leaves can lead to problems (file picture)
Fallen leaves can lead to problems (file picture)

West Sussex County Council is calling on people to help rake leaves away from drains to stop them blocking up.

According to the council, every autumn, highway drains quickly become covered with falling leaves and sometimes become blocked – increasing the likelihood of flooding.

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And now the council is asking for people to spend a few minutes raking the leaves ou of the way – and has also offered these five tips...

1) Where possible, do it in daylight, outside peak hours, when visibility is good, on roads of less than 40mph. 2) Stand on the verge or pavement and rake leaves downhill towards you until they are well out of the way. 3) If you live on a busy street, park your car in front of the drain to create a safety barrier for you. 4) Wear something bright so you are clearly visible and other road users know you’re there. 5) Avoid raking leaves uphill, or into the road, as they will only be blown or washed back into the drain.

Councillor Bob Lanzer, the county council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Leaves blocking drains is a common problem every autumn. Any help we can get from residents clearing leaves can have an impact on stopping flooding before it starts. We look after 137,000 highways drains and gulleys across the county, and it is hard to predict where leaves collect and where issues will arise. Any extra help people can give us to prevent problems before they happen can go a long way.”

Anyone who finds flooding problems persist after a drain has been cleared can report the issue online, at love.westsussex.gov.uk, from where the Love West Sussex smartphone app can also be downloaded.

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