An emergency situation could happen any time and lead to the loss of basic services, such as water and electricity, or life-threatening situations.
Unless told otherwise by emergency services, during a major emergency you should always stay inside. In the case of a fire, evacuate the building.
For the latest information, check the council’s social media channels on Twitter and Facebook which will be updated at the earliest opportunity, or those of local police and emergency services. You may also tune in to a local radio station.
In an emergency we will:
We will provide:
We work in partnership with other local public services and surrounding boroughs to produce emergency plans for North Central London. This Local Resilience Forum shares information on identified and assessed risks.
Risks are identified and assessed to ensure London is prepared for emergencies. These risks are published in the London Risk Register, which helps us plan for local emergencies and update the risk register for Enfield.
Some of the top risks in Enfield are:
For more information, visit GOV.UK
In an evacuation, transport will be provided to allocated rest centres. A rest centre offers shelter, amenities and information while the emergency is being dealt with.
At rest centres we can:
An emergency plan should be written or discussed with family members and include what to do if there is an emergency or you have to evacuate.
Useful points for your emergency plan include:
You should keep the emergency plan in a safe place and give copies to your family.
It's useful to have an emergency grab bag prepared in case you need to evacuate your home. This should include useful items such as:
You can also make an emergency bag for your car and include:
It's important to be prepared for extreme weather conditions, such as heavy snow and ice, especially if you live in a rural area. You should think about what you would do if you:
Tips to prepare for bad weather:
For more information on planning for bad weather, visit:
The five flood-risk areas in Enfield are:
You can find out if you're in a flood risk area, by visiting GOV.UK.
Tips to prepare for flooding:
In the event of a flood, you should:
In major emergency situations, warnings and advice will be issued to the public through radio and TV. You should have a battery-operated radio ready, in case of power cuts.
The Met Office issue warnings and advice when severe or hazardous weather has the potential to cause danger, or widespread disruption of communication or transport. You can also keep updated via the BBC, who provide weather warnings and features on climate change.
Tips to prepare for storms:
In the event of a storm, you should:
After a storm, you should check that relatives and neighbours are safe, and inspect your home for any structural damage.
During the summer, temperatures can rise to over 30°C, which can be dangerous, especially for the very young, elderly or seriously ill.
Although severe heatwaves are uncommon in the UK they can be fatal and so the Met Office will issue alerts if the average temperature is 30°C during the day and 15°C overnight:
In the event of a heatwave, you should:
For more information on planning for heatwaves, visit:
As part of the local response to a COVID-19 outbreak, we have prepared a Local Outbreak Control Plan (PDF).