RAIN project brings The Floodmobile to East Hunsbury for flood resilience community event

A special drop-in event is being held at the Abbey Centre, East Hunsbury, Northamptonshire, on Monday 27 March, by a new flood innovation and resilience project that is working across the Wootton Brook and Harpers Brook catchments of the county.

Funded by Defra as part of the Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, and managed by the Environment Agency, Resilience And Innovation Northants (RAIN) is one of 25 local authority-led flood resilience projects, nationwide, which is focused on developing, testing and implementing innovative flood risk solutions for locations deemed at risk of flooding.

With areas of East Hunsbury experiencing flooding in the past, the free event, from 2pm-6pm, invites homeowners, business owners, landowners and farmers from the area to meet RAIN’s team of flood risk experts, to learn more about the project’s plans and to receive advice and information on flood awareness, preparedness and property-level resilience, including a tour of a ‘Floodmobile’ demonstration vehicle.

The Floodmobile is packed with more than 50 examples of practical flood resilience measures, and the RAIN team will be happy to show how properties can be adapted to better prepare against future flood risk, and offer advice on how to make a flood plan.

Alan Ryan from the West Northants Flood and Water Team confirms: “With climate change upon us, we must prepare for the unavoidable impacts by helping communities to adapt and become more resilient. Since 2012, around 350 flood incidents have been reported across the two Northants catchments that RAIN is focusing on.

“Our aim is to therefore work with these communities to embrace a broad range of resilience actions to better protect and prepare against flooding. This includes using nature-based solutions to store or slow the flow of flood waters, and better preparing and responding to flood incidents through timely and effective forecasting, warning, evacuation and resilience measures.

“We look forward to visiting East Hunsbury with the Floodmobile where we will listen to people’s concerns, offer helpful advice, and engage with local people on this important matter.”

Adds Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, PFR advisor for RAIN: “Having been flooded myself, I know just what an appalling experience it really is. As such, I have since dedicated more than two decades of my working life to support communities with preparing, planning and becoming more resilient to flood risk.

“We therefore look forward to meeting people from across the East Hunsbury area on Monday 27th March to introduce ourselves and to listen to residents’ personal experiences or concerns.”

The £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme will enable local authorities, businesses and communities in locations across the country in testing and demonstrating innovative practical resilience actions.

The RAIN project brings together experts in both flood resilience and natural flood management, as well as many specialist partners, to provide information, education and support to those living and working in the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments in Northamptonshire.

Date: Monday 27th March 2023Time: From 2pm until 6pmWhere: The Abbey Centre, Overslade Road, East Hunsbury, NN4 0RZNotes: No appointment necessary, free of charge.

For more information regarding the RAIN project, visit https://www.facebook.com/RAINnorthants, follow the team on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RAIN_Northants or email [email protected].