The Environment Agency in England announced today that it will team up with digital communications company EE to send flood warnings to mobile phone users in Devon and Cornwall in the south-west of the country, and later in flood risk areas in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.
This is the first time that flood warnings in England will be issued directly through a mobile network operator. The scheme was tested through a successful pilot in Staffordshire in March this year.
From Tuesday 14 July 2015, EE customers registered in flood risk areas in Devon and Cornwall will receive messages from the Environment Agency’s Floodline Warnings Direct service, giving people valuable time to prepare. From Friday, 17 July, the scheme will also be available to EE customers registered in flood risk areas in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.
Craig Woolhouse, Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said, “We want to ensure that everyone has as much time as possible to prepare for flooding and by working with EE we’re now able to warn even more people about the risks. Flood warnings save lives and this ground-breaking initiative is another way of raising awareness of flood risk”.
EE customers living in flood risk areas in Devon and Cornwall will be informed that they are registered to receive the free flood warnings. They will also be given details of where to find further information and how to opt out if they wish to.
Jason Rees, EE’s Director of New Business, said, “This new service clearly demonstrates the positive contribution that mobile technology makes to our everyday lives. The Floodline Warnings Direct service offers our customers a free and essential service”.
Since 2010, the Floodline Warnings Direct service has enabled the Environment Agency to automatically register and send warnings to 600,000 home and business landline numbers.
Anyone, EE customers of otherwise, can check their flood risk and register for free Environment Agency flood warnings, either online at www.gov.uk/flood or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.
Warnings are issued by phone, text or email through the Floodline Warnings Direct service to members of the public and businesses in areas at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.
