RAIN Northamptonshire

15/10/2026

Flood Action Week:

You may have heard of the term 'PFR' - it stands for Property Flood Resilience.

One aspect of PFR is physical measures and property-level adaptations that can help to reduce floodwater entering a building or and lessen the impact if water does find it's way in.

Examples include:
🚪 Flood doors and removable barriers.
🧱 Self-closing airbricks.
↩️ Non-return valves to reduce backflow through drainage.
🏠 Materials and fittings that are easier to clean, dry and repair.

The right combination depends on the building, its occupants and the type of flood risk. Every property and its requirements are therefore different .

RAIN’s approach in Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook started with understanding those risks via expert modelling and flood risk surveys, then working with specialist contractors to tailor measures for each property.

14/10/2026

Flood Action Week:

Could your garden make more space for rain? When rain lands on a paved surface, it can run straight towards a drain and, when the rainfall is heavy, quickly overwhelm it.

Planted areas can help some of that water soak into the ground first. So, depending on your space, you could explore:

🌿 Replacing some hard paving with planting.
🌧️ Creating a properly designed rain garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA0v3UerGtk
🌳 Planting a suitable tree in the right location.
💧 Choosing permeable surfaces when renewing a path or driveway.
🛢️ Capture as much water as possible using water buts.

Rain gardens are planted areas designed to collect runoff temporarily, helping manage rainfall close to where it lands. These changes can support wildlife and habitats too.

Here at RAIN, we not only provided primary schools in Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments with 32 rain planters, but we also helped households plant their own RAIN gardens and trees to help reduce water run-off.

Start by looking at where water goes when it rains. Seek advice before changing drainage or directing water near buildings.

We've created this video to demonstrate how to plant and plant a wa...

13/10/2026

What would you put in your flood preparedness pack?

If you needed to leave home quickly, would your essentials be easy to find? A flood preparedness pack – or emergency grab bag – is a useful place to start.

Consider including:
🔦 A torch and spare batteries.
🔋 A phone charger and charged power bank.
💊 Essential medication and a list of prescriptions.
📄 Copies of important documents and contact numbers.
💧 Drinking water.
🧥 Warm clothing and waterproofs.
🩹 A first aid kit.

Keep it somewhere accessible and let everyone at home know where it is.

At Harpers Court in Brigstock, RAIN’s work has included providing personalised flood boxes for residents’ essential documents, medication and treasured items. Perhaps you could do the same.

And remember to check your pack regularly, including batteries and expiry dates. Keep important papers in waterproof bags and store precious items above potential floodwater levels.

12/10/2026

This Flood Action Week, take a few minutes to:

✅ Check your home’s flood risk.
✅ Sign up for free Environment Agency flood warnings where available: https://www.gov.uk/get-flood-warnings
✅ Keep an eye on Met Office weather warnings: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings #?date=2026-10-12

Environment Agency flood warnings don’t cover surface water flooding, so it’s important to use more than one source of information.

And remember, you don’t have to live beside a river to be at risk of flooding. The greatest level of risk comes from surface water following heavy rain, which can overwhelm drains and flow across roads, gardens and into homes.

If you're already signed up - check your contact details are up to date.

A little preparation now can help you act sooner.

05/09/2026

📢 Calling volunteers! Would you like to become a Flood Warden for your local community? 📢

If so, our colleagues at West Northamptonshire Council's Emergency Planning team are hosting a free, full-day training session on 2nd October and everyone is welcome to register.

The training will show you:
🔹 how to carry out flood warden duties,
🔹 teach you about the different flood types, causes and risks,
🔹 how to report flood issues, and
🔹 how you can help improve your community's resilience to floods.

If you'd like to take part, please register for a place by emailing: [email protected].

It takes place on 2nd October, from 10am-3:30pm at Northampton Active on Bedford Road.

04/09/2026

Here we share a animation film from the Environment Agency and Cumbria Wildlife Trust that focuses on natural solutions to climate change - focusing on our farmland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGmR-tfgj1I

Could you help nature in Cumbria by making a donation? 👉 https://ww...

03/09/2026

Here's a great video from our friends over at Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Cumbria Innovative Flood Resilience Project that focuses on the at-home actions you can take to help reduce the impact and effects of flooding.

The animated video features Milligan the hedgehog who talks you through some great flood mitigation tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfEmmnu3fIA&t

Milligan the hedgehog explains how to help wildlife at home and hel...

02/09/2026

The Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Cumbria Innovative Flood Resiliece project have produced a series of eight animated films called 'Wild Ideas About Flooding'.

They really help to explain how nature works to support flood risk mitigation.

In this episode, Pat the cow explains how good-quality soils can help to mitigate the effects of flooding and climate change, as well as improving water quality!

You can watch all eight films here 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScP9uAqaGs0&t

Pat the cow explains how good-quality soils can help to mitigate th...

01/09/2026

Would you like to train as a Flood Warden for your local community?

Our colleagues at West Northamptonshire Council's Emergency Planning team are hosting a free, full-day training session on 2nd October.

You will learn how to carry out flood warden duties, learn about the different flood types, causes and risks, how to report flood issues, and how you can help improve your community's resilience to floods.

If you'd like to take part, please register for a place by emailing: [email protected].

27/08/2026

After weeks of dry weather, it is important that we think ahead and be prepared for wet weather conditions ☔️

This helpful video from Mary Long-Dhonau - known as Flood Mary - provides some great advice for what you may want to consider:

https://youtu.be/gika1cf1zRU?si=S3tYPweuSGd4V28z

Also, if you haven’t already, do create an Emergency Flood Plan so you know what steps to take should any emergency occur at your home and you need to leave quickly. You can download a template from our website:

https://rainnorthants.co.uk/be-flood-ready/