Issued On Behalf Of The Hampshire And Isle Of Wight Local Resilience Forum. Ed
Local authorities; emergency services and partner agencies are ready to support residents across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, ahead of Storm Ciarán which is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain affecting coastal areas later tonight and through into Thursday 2nd November 2023.
With very strong winds of up to 80mph expected across coastal areas, there is a potential risk to life; risk of damage to buildings; falling trees leading to disruption to travel and an ongoing risk of flooding.
‘Major Incident’ status
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum, has declared that their response will be escalated to ‘Major Incident’ status from midnight tonight (Wednesday 1st November 2023).
All partner agencies are continuing to plan ahead with arrangements to respond to weather related emergencies during this period.
Those who live or work in what are likely to be the worst affected areas (as determined by the Amber weather warning issued by the Met Office) are advised to travel with care avoiding, as far as possible, coastal and wooded areas whilst winds are high.
This may not affect everyone in Hampshire and people are advised to check Met Office Find a Forecast web page for any changes before making their journey. Advice about travel, your home and wellbeing can be also be found on the Met Office website.
People are also advised to check transport operators (rail, ferry and bus) websites and social media channels for any updates before travelling.
OTHER HELPFUL SOURCES OF INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT
Emergency 999 calls
Please use the 999 emergency number only if there is an immediate risk to life.
Flooding
See advice on how to prepare for flooding and check for updates relating to flood alerts for the area, can be found on The Environment Agency webpages
For assistance in the event of flooding call 0345 988 1188 or text 0345 602 6340
Medical assistance
If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, visit 111 online
Urgent Treatment Centres and pharmacies are equipped to deal with minor injuries, such as cuts or sprains. Please only go to a hospital’s Emergency Department for life-threatening accidents and emergencies. Find details of pharmacies and Urgent Treatment Centres online
You can also download the Healthier Together app for advice if you have children or carer responsibilities. The app can help you decide whether you can self-care at home or if you need help, and which service is best for the needs of children aged up to 18. It also provides advice and guidance for pregnant women.
Issues on roads
Extra highways crews are on standby to respond to the impact of Storm Ciaran and clear excess water and tree debris, prioritising main routes and routes to critical services.
To report a highways issue:
Isle of Wight roads: Highway maintenance (iow.gov.uk)
Hampshire roads: Roads and road maintenance | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)
Portsmouth roads: Report a pothole or a problem with the road – Portsmouth City Council – Introduction – My Portsmouth
Southampton roads: Road maintenance (southampton.gov.uk)
Public Health Advice
The latest Public Health advice relating to flooding is available on the Government website: Flooding and health: advice for the public – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Council services and facilities
For information about local services or facilities that may be affected by Storm Ciaran, including adult social care services, waste collections and libraries, please check your local council webpages and look out for updates on their social media channels: Find your local council – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Water and electricity services
Refer to your water or energy supplier websites and social media for information about services that may be affected by the impact of Storm Ciaran.
Electricity
The electricity network in the region is managed by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. Look out for updates and advice on ssen.co.uk and if you lose power, please report on ssen.co.uk/powertrack or call the free power cut helpline on 105.
SSEN will continue to monitor this storm closely as it develops and issue regular updates.
Customers are encouraged to be prepared for the possibility of disruption to supplies by:
- Saving the emergency power cut number – ‘105‘ – to your phone to report any loss of supply or damage to the electricity network
- Visiting SSEN’s Power Track Website to give you details of power cuts and restoration times. You can also report power cuts and network damage through the Power Track app
- Going to SSEN’s website where there is a wealth of advice and information on how to deal with a power cut, or to chat live to one of SSEN’s advisors via its Webchat service
