The Environment Agency (EA) is urging the public to be prepared for a flood following the wettest 18 months on record.

The EA issued the warning to coincide with the annual ‘Flood Action Week’ (October 14-20), pointing out that about 5.5 million properties in England are at risk from flooding.

In the South Hams, there is a risk of tidal flooding from the River Dart. Flood defences were built in 1980 in response to the threat, with additional work being carried out in 2018 in Totnes, where there is a 10 per cent chance of flooding every year.

The EA was granted permission by South Hams District Council for a £3.8 million scheme in the town to reduce flood risk to more than 400 homes and businesses in 2017.

This year’s awareness campaign coincides with the one-year anniversary of Storm Babet, which brought significant flooding across the country.

According to the Met Office, the storm resulted in the third wettest three-day period in a series for England and Wales since 1891.

Babet was quickly followed by Storms Ciaran and Henk, which each led to more serious flooding.

The EA also calculated the financial cost of the 2020 storms, Ciara and Dennis, pointing out that the average insurance claim per household was £32,000.

Last month, heavy rainfall led to the first major incident of the season with almost 1,000 properties being flooded. It followed the wettest 18 months on record in England up to February 2024.

Despite this, recent data suggests that nearly half the country is unsure of how to find information on local flood risks, the EA said.

In response, the agency has advised the public to check their long-term flood risk and to sign up for flood warnings by phone, text or email.

There are also steps the public can take to mitigate the impact of flooding, including storing important documents in a secure, waterproof location, as well as checking how to turn off electricity and water, and preparing a flood kit.

Drivers are also being warned to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water, as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move a car.

Caroline Douglass, for the EA, said: “We can’t always predict where the rain will fall or where flooding will occur, but we do know which areas are at risk.

“That is why it is essential we all do our part by checking our flood risk and signing up for flood warnings this Flood Action Week.”

Floods Minister Emma Hardy added: “Flooding can be a destructive force that puts everything in life on hold. I’ve seen the impacts firsthand and am determined to ensure as much as possible others do not.”

The EA has conducted more than 200,000 checks on the state of assets in the past year – up from 150,000 in an average year – and increased its spend on maintenance and repair to £236 million, up from £200 million.