Preparing for Emergencies
Thinking about emergencies
If an emergency happened in your area, how would you manage? Think about who you know. Who would need extra support or help?
This page will help you prepare for emergencies. Consider hazards and actions you can take to support yourself and your community. Taking action now makes it easier to manage if an emergency does happen.
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
How to prepare for an emergency
Stay informed
Know which sites to visit to check for disruption in your area.
Flood risk
Familiarise yourself with the flood risks in your area on GOV.UK
Gas outages
Report gas supply issues and see gas outages in your area on the Downdetector website
Electricity outages
Search for electricity disruption on Power Cut 105
Water outages
Check for water supply issues in your area on the United Utilities website
Travel updates
Find traffic updates on the Cumbria Constabulary website
Emergency alerts
You can set up alerts to get as much warning of an emergency as possible.
Be Prepared
Grab bag
Consider making a grab bag. A grab bag is a small bag filled with the essentials you may need in an emergency, where you can grab it and leave.
Having a grab bag removes the rush of trying to get what you think you might need in an emergency. You won’t forget the essentials, either.
It should include:
- important documents such as your passport and birth certificate in a waterproof bag
- contact details of loved ones
- essential prescriptions, including medication, inhalers, glasses, and contact lenses
- first aid kit
- extra house and car keys
- basic toiletries
- mobile phone, charger, and power bank
- wind-up or battery radio
- wind-up or battery torch
- emergency cash
- change of clothing
- emergency non-perishable food
- water
- supplies for babies, children, and pets
Exactly what you should include depends on your needs. Check your bag regularly to update it where needed.
Prepare as a community
Have an action plan for your community to protect each other until further help arrives.
Keeping vulnerable people safe
For vulnerable people and carers, develop an emergency plan to accommodate their needs.
- read advice for disabled persons and carers in an emergency on GOV.UK
- check if vulnerable people are eligible to be on the Priority Services Register on Thepsr.co.uk
Partner links
How we prepare for emergencies
Many public services make up the Cumbria Local Resilience forum. We work together to prepare emergency plans for high risk events. These include flooding, severe weather storms, and power supply disruptions.
Find industrial site-based plans:
The forum runs a full training and exercise program for partners.
Many of our plans are public documents. To learn more, email us at crf.secretariat@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
Give us as much detail as you can, including a specific risk and postcode area.