More than 100 residents attended a flood advice drop-in session at the Civic Offices in Christchurch jointly hosted by the Environment Agency and Christchurch Council.
Officers were on hand to provide advice and guidance on flooding issues and also make people aware of the government grants available if their properties were flooded and government loans for preventative measures.
Cllr Margaret Phipps, portfolio holder for the Environment at Christchurch Council, said: “This has been an extremely well-attended event which goes to show how important it is for local people to get advice on what they can do to keep their properties safe in the event of further extreme weather.
“The event has attracted residents from across the Borough who have been able to benefit from a wide variety of prevention advice from the Environment Agency and advice on how to apply for grants from our own officers.”
Nick Reed, Flood Resilience Officer at the Environment Agency, added: “It’s been good to work in partnership with Christchurch Council on this event. The feedback has been good and most people have gone away having had their questions answered.
“We’ve also been able gather data on where flooding has occurred which will enable us to better manage the flood risk in Christchurch.”
One resident, Alastair Hoare, commented: “This has been an extremely helpful event. The Environment Agency officers have been very knowledgeable about where we live and have been able to give us very targeted advice on how to build in flood resilience at our property.”
