Five things to do before the storm starts:
- Secure loose objects such as ladders and garden furniture that could be blown into windows or glazing
- Close and securely fasten all doors, windows and storm shutters
- Park your car clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences
- Close and secure loft trapdoors with bolts
- If chimney stacks are tall and in poor condition, move beds away from areas directly below them
During the storm…
- Stay indoors if you can
- If you do go out, don’t walk or shelter close to buildings or trees and keep away from the sheltered side of boundary walls and fences
- Do not go outside to repair damage while the storm is in progress
- If possible, enter and leave your house through doors in the sheltered side, closing them behind you
- Only open internal doors when needed and close them quickly
- Only drive if necessary and take extreme care. Avoid exposed routes such as bridges and high open roads, slow down, and be aware of side winds
After the storm:
- Don’t touch electrical/telephone cables that have been blown down or are still hanging
- Don’t walk too close to walls, buildings and trees as they could have been weakened
- Make sure that any vulnerable neighbours or relatives are safe and help them make arrangements for any repairs
You can find further advice on the Met Office.
If snow and ice is forecast, the safest option is to stay at home in the warm.
Before a snowfall
You could be without supplies if you’re cut off by snow, so try to stock up on:
- Torches and batteries, candles and matches
- Blankets and layers of loose fitting, lightweight clothing
- Food
- A mobile phone power pack
Staying safe if you’re stuck in:
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature, day and night
- Turn off electrical heaters and put out your fire before going to bed
- Prevent frozen pipes by opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate
- Never use a hob or oven to heat your home as they can increase carbon monoxide levels
- Keep checking the forecast, as weather warnings can change quickly
Simple ways to support vulnerable relatives or neighbours
- Check if they need any practical help
- Make sure they have enough food and medicine supplies in case they cannot go out
- Help to clear their path after a snowfall
What should I do in a power cut?
- Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended
- Leave a light on so you know when the power cut is fixed
- Check in on your neighbours and see if they have a power cut too. If they have power, your trip switch may have activated
- Wrap up, close internal doors or use a portable heater for warmth
- Call 105 for free information and advice
After snow or ice
- Clear your paths and spread salt. You can use ordinary table or dishwasher salt – a tablespoon for each square metre you clear
- Take care shovelling snow as cold air makes it harder to work and breathe
- Be careful when walking or driving on compacted snow – it may have turned to ice
- Keep curtains and blinds closed.
- Close windows during the hottest time of day, and open them in the evening.
- Avoid using ovens, tumble dryers and other heat sources in the afternoon.
- Keep internal doors open (unless trying to isolate a particularly cool room).
- Drink lots of water and wear lightweight clothing at home.
- Remember to check on vulnerable family members and familiarise yourself with the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
For more advice on staying safe in extreme heat, visit The Met Office, the Government website and Public Health Wales.
In the past, heavy rain has caused overflows at our culverts, with floodwater travelling quite far into the surrounding streets. We understand how stressful and disruptive this can be for our communities. That is why we have been working hard to change how we monitor and look after our waterways.
Instead of just reacting when things go wrong, we are putting smarter, proactive systems in place to protect your street, strengthen our neighbourhood’s defences, and give you peace of mind.
What we are doing at Heol Dyfed
We have introduced new tools and regular routines to keep the water flowing safely and stop it from reaching your doorsteps.
We have installed an electronic monitoring system on the Heol Dyfed culvert. If heavy rain causes water levels to rise over 50%, our team instantly gets a text alert so we can watch it closely.
Every single month, our teams carry out a full audit of the culvert. We clear anything trapped and cut back any overgrown plants that might block the water flow.
Whenever a severe weather warning is issued, we do not wait; we check the culvert every day to make sure it stays completely clear.
We will build a protective barrier wall using sandbags at the top of the steps. This is designed to catch any sudden overflows and divert the water away from the streets and directly into the main drainage systems.
Last winter, the smart system flagged that the water had reached 75%. Because we were alerted early, we were able to monitor it constantly, clear out blockages, and get our sandbags ready before it could cause a problem.
Our plans
We want to take the success we’ve had at Heol Dyfed and apply it across our other communities to prevent problems before they start.
We are planning to install these same smart monitoring systems on all our most problematic culverts that are prone to flooding.
We are exploring the use of live cameras. This will allow us to see what is happening instantly through digital tech rather than waiting for a team member to drive out to the site, helping us respond much faster.
We are actively working with Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) to make sure local street drains are kept clear and unblocked, so the whole network works together properly.
We are lucky to have an in-house expert leading this work. One of our key team members has a specialist background in drainage engineering, meaning your community defences are being managed by the best person for the job!
Right now, we do not have a fixed start or completion date for rolling out the new monitoring systems. We have recently gone out to procure the technology from suppliers, which is the necessary first step. Because we are dealing with external suppliers and specialist equipment, timescales can sometimes shift.
But we promise to keep you updated on our progress as soon as we have firm dates to share. The great news is that the phase of work we are planning will not cause loud noise, road closures, or restricted access to your street.
Help protect your home
We are out in your neighbourhood regularly, and we maintain a massive stockpile of emergency sandbags up in Maesteg ready to deploy the second our system triggers an alert. However, we can achieve the best results when we work as a team. Here are things you can do to help keep the neighbourhood safe:
We will be checking the site regularly, but if you ever see water rising or heading towards your property, please get in touch with us immediately. We will instantly action our rapid-response call-out team to come and help.
For extra peace of mind during bad winters, it is always a smart idea to purchase a few of your own sandbags to keep at home just in case. We partner with HJE, our waste contractors. You can contact them directly to request recycled sandbags to help protect your doorways.
If you have any immediate concerns about the culvert, notice a blockage, or want to report rising water, please call us on 0300 123 2100 or email TheHub@v2c.org.uk. We are here to help.