Flooded in Hull? A First-Hour Checklist for Homeowners

Why Hull needs its own checklist

Almost all of the city is flat and low. Hull City Council puts more than 90% of it below high tide level, and the drainage only works because Yorkshire Water pumps it out. In June 2007 that system was overwhelmed and 8,657 houses on more than 600 streets flooded, most of them by surface water rather than a river. In December 2013 a tidal surge reached a record 5.8m at the Hull barrier and 264 properties flooded around the city centre, Walker Street and the Hessle Road end of town.

Two things follow from that. First, most flood water in Hull has been through the sewers, so treat it as dirty. The council's own figures say 84% of the city's surface water drains into the combined sewer network. Second, the right people to ring depend on where the water came from, and the order you ring them in matters.

Your first-hour checklist

1. If anyone is in danger, ring 999. Get people and pets upstairs or out. Keep children away from the water, and never walk through moving water outside or open a manhole that has lifted.
2. Treat the water as contaminated. Unless it is clearly clean water from a burst pipe inside the house, assume it carries sewage. Wear rubber gloves and wellies, wash your hands before eating, and keep cuts covered.
3. Make the electrics safe, but only from somewhere dry. If you can reach the consumer unit without standing in water, switch it off. If you can't, leave it. For a power cut or a flooded substation, ring Northern Powergrid on 105.
4. Stop what you can stop. For a burst pipe, turn off the stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink or where the supply comes in at the front of the house. If the water is coming up through drains, toilets or a manhole, you can't stop it, so move on to the next step.
5. Ring the body that owns the problem. Sewer water coming up from drains: Yorkshire Water on 0345 1 24 24 24, day or night. The Humber, the River Hull or a main drain overtopping: the Environment Agency incident line, 0800 80 70 60. Standing water from blocked road gullies: report it to Hull City Council online, or in the East Riding ring (01482) 393939 if a home is at risk.
6. Photograph before you tidy. Take wide shots of every room, close-ups of damaged items, and the tide mark the water left on the walls. The council's recovery advice asks you to record the flood watermark and to keep damaged items until the insurer has seen them.
7. Lift what you can. Hull houses rarely have cellars because of the wet ground, so the ground floor takes the damage. Carry documents, photos, electricals and rugs upstairs, and put foil or blocks under furniture legs.
8. Tell your insurer early and write down who you spoke to. Ask whether they will send a loss adjuster, whether they have their own drying firm, and whether your policy includes Build Back Better money for flood resilience work during the repair.

Numbers to keep by the door

Problem, and who deals with it	Number
Anyone in danger	999
Sewer water from drains, toilets or manholes: Yorkshire Water, 24 hours	0345 1 24 24 24
River, drain or tidal flooding: Environment Agency incident line, 24 hours	0800 80 70 60
Flood warnings and advice: Floodline, 24 hours	0345 988 1188
Power cut or damaged electrics outside: Northern Powergrid	105
East Riding home at risk of flooding: East Riding of Yorkshire Council	01482 393939
Water in your home now: Humber Restoration	01482 736003

Don't wait for a warning

Floodline warnings are worth signing up for if you live near the Humber, the River Hull or one of the big drains, because they cover rivers and the sea. They do not cover surface water. The government's own service says you cannot get warnings for flash flooding, and in the 2013 surge Hull's severe warnings went out at almost the same moment water entered the city. If the rain is heavy and the gullies in your street are backing up, act on what you can see.

Groundwater is the slow one. The council notes that west Hull sits on thinner clay over the chalk, so water can come up through floors a few days or weeks after a storm, long after the roads have drained. Damp that appears late is still flood damage, so photograph it and report it.

To see how exposed your own street is, including recorded floods nearby and any warning in force now, use our postcode flood risk checker.

Three mistakes that cost Hull homeowners money

Ripping out before the insurer has seen it. Skirting, carpet and plaster that went in the skip on day one can't be claimed for on day ten. Photograph, then keep it outside under cover if you must move it.

Trusting a dry-looking wall. A lot of Hull's Victorian terraces were built with solid brick walls and no cavity. They hold water deep in the brick and plaster and dry far more slowly than a modern house, so they need moisture readings, not a guess. Redecorating too soon is how mould gets in behind new paint.

Letting sewage water sit. Carpets and underlay soaked by sewer water normally can't be saved, and the longer they sit the further the smell and bacteria spread into the floor below. Get contaminated material out quickly once it has been photographed.

When to call us

Call a restoration firm when water has reached walls, floors or ceilings, when it came from a drain or from outside, or when more than one room is affected. We extract the water, remove what can't be saved, clean and sanitise, then dry the structure with meters so there is a written record for your insurer. For a leak you've caught quickly on a hard floor, you may not need us, and we'll say so.

Frequently asked questions

Is flood water in Hull really sewage? Often, yes. Most of the city's surface water runs into combined sewers that also carry waste, so water coming up from drains or gullies is usually contaminated. Clean water from a burst pipe inside the house is the exception, until it has soaked through floors and walls.

Who do I ring if the drains are flooding my street? Yorkshire Water for sewers and water coming up from drains or manholes, on 0345 1 24 24 24. Hull City Council deals with blocked road gullies through its online reporting form. If it is the Humber or a river, ring the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

Does Flood Re help me get insurance in Hull? It can. Flood Re sits behind many home policies in flood-risk areas and covers homes built before 2009. Newer homes fall outside it. Your insurer or a broker can tell you whether your policy uses it.

How fast does mould start? Within 24 to 48 hours in a warm house. That is why drying should start the same day, even if the full repair waits for the insurer.

For what the clean-up and repairs usually cost, and how a flood claim differs from a leak, see our water damage cost guide.