The Environment Agency has warned Wessex communities to be ready for floods.

This comes as part of the nationwide ‘Flood Action Week’ from October 14 to 20.

The awareness campaign also marks the one-year anniversary of Storm Babet, which caused significant flooding across the country.

With climate change resulting in more extreme weather, flooding has already been recorded this autumn.

This follows the wettest 18 months on record in England up to February 2024.

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The Environment Agency aims to show people how they can reduce the damage floods cause to their homes and businesses, with around 5.5 million properties in England at risk from flooding.

Ron Curtis, the Environment Agency's flood and coastal risk manager for Wessex, said: "Our field teams are active all year, preparing for and responding to flooding and working with at-risk communities.

"But even with these efforts, we can’t prevent flooding completely."

Mr Curtis stressed the importance of being prepared, saying: "As we anticipate more intense rainfall this winter, it’s essential you take the necessary precautions to safeguard yourself and your family from flooding as much as possible."

The agency advises people to check their long-term flood risk, sign up for flood warnings and take steps to protect themselves from future flooding, such as storing important documents in a secure, waterproof location and preparing a flood kit.

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Floods minister Emma Hardy said: "Flooding can be a destructive force that puts everything in life on hold.

"I’ve seen the impacts firsthand and am determined to ensure as much as possible others do not."

She added: "But this Flood Action Week, we must all be proactive in taking steps to protect ourselves by checking our flood risk and signing up for flood warnings."

According to estimates made after the flooding caused by Storms Ciara and Dennis in 2020, the average insurance claim per household was £32,000.

Flood Re is a joint initiative between the Government and insurers aiming to make the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.

Flood Re interim CEO Stuart Logue said: "One year on from Storm Babet and we are seeing yet more severe weather and flooding across the country, causing not only physical devastation to homes, but also placing a unique burden on the mental health and wellbeing of families who are affected."