The Environment Agency has helped 35 communities across the Great Ouse catchment in England develop community flood plans and receive start-up emergency flood kits, as part of a Great Ouse flood resilience project. The agency set out the work during its Flood Action Week campaign, in an announcement published on 19 October 2026.
Weather whiplash and Flood Action Week
The Environment Agency said it has been stepping up efforts to protect the country from weather whiplash, where prolonged dry conditions can be followed by periods of heavy rainfall and flooding.
Severe drought has recently been declared in parts of southern England, and the agency pointed to a heightened potential for a wet winter. It said communities can therefore face the contrasting challenges of water scarcity and flooding, sometimes in the same season.
During Flood Action Week, the agency is encouraging people to check their flood risk, prepare a flood plan and sign up for flood warnings. Households can also use Flood Action Online, which the agency describes as a one-stop hub to check flood risk, sign up for warnings, access Met Office alerts and find practical advice on making homes more resilient.
Flood kits and community flood plans
Each emergency flood kit is tailored to the community receiving it. The kits typically include high visibility jackets, a submersible pump, roadside ‘Flood’ signs, temporary barriers, a first aid kit, two-way radios and torches.
Communities that have received kits include Biggleswade, Buckingham, Cambridge, Cottenham, Kempston, Sandy, St Ives and Stony Stratford, among others. Communities in the catchment can apply for a flood kit and a flood monitoring camera once they have developed a suitable community flood plan with support from the Environment Agency.
Adam Foster, Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We’re facing extreme weather, with flood and drought placing communities under growing pressure. Building resilience has never been more important.”
He added: “Through flood groups, community flood plans, and emergency flood kits, this project is equipping local volunteers and communities to respond quickly and effectively when water levels rise. We can’t always prevent flooding, but we can help communities understand their risk, be better prepared and hopefully recover more quickly.”
Riseley flood group puts its plan into practice
The agency cited Riseley in Bedfordshire as an example of community preparedness. Residents formed a flood group and worked with the Environment Agency and Bedford Borough Council to develop a community flood plan and identify vulnerable residents.
The group spread the word through door-knocking, social media and leaflets. According to the agency, its preparation paid off when flooding later hit the village.
Remote monitoring cameras at flood-risk sites
CCTV cameras are also being installed at flood-risk locations across the catchment, allowing communities, the Environment Agency and partners to monitor conditions remotely. The agency said residents can check water levels online and make informed decisions without leaving home.
Nine cameras were already in place, with a tenth installed in Newport Pagnell in the week before the announcement. The other camera locations are Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Cambridge, Harrold, Riseley, St Ives, Stony Stratford, Wistow, and Yelden and Melchbourne.
Funding and eligibility for Great Ouse flood resilience support
The Great Ouse catchment flood resilience project is funded through the local levy programme and delivered in partnership with local authorities.
Only communities within the Great Ouse catchment are eligible for the flood kits and monitoring cameras. The catchment crosses county boundaries and includes parts of Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Communities in those counties but outside the catchment are not eligible.
Frequently asked questions
How many communities in the Great Ouse catchment have received flood kits?
Thirty-five communities across the Great Ouse catchment have developed community flood plans and received a start-up emergency flood kit from the Environment Agency.
What is included in an Environment Agency community flood kit?
The kits are tailored to each community and typically include high visibility jackets, a submersible pump, roadside ‘Flood’ signs, temporary barriers, a first aid kit, two-way radios and torches.
Where are the Great Ouse flood monitoring cameras?
Cameras are in place at Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Cambridge, Harrold, Newport Pagnell, Riseley, St Ives, Stony Stratford, Wistow, and Yelden and Melchbourne. The Newport Pagnell camera was the tenth to be installed.
Who is eligible for a flood kit and monitoring camera?
Only communities within the Great Ouse catchment are eligible, and they must first develop a suitable community flood plan with support from the Environment Agency. Communities in the relevant counties but outside the catchment are not eligible.
How is the Great Ouse flood resilience project funded?
The project is funded through the local levy programme and delivered in partnership with local authorities.
