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What If..? is aÌýcampaign running on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Suffolk designed to help you and your family be better prepared to face some of the challenges life can throw at us.

We cannot prepare for every single eventuality but there are some common problems that might result from flooding or fire – power failures, loss of water supply or loss of communications like telephones – for which we can prepare.

Follow the links below to take a closer look at the themes covered:

What if..?

Flooding: The tidal surge of November 2007 resulted in flooding across the county, with many dislodged from their homes. It was even worse in 1953, when over 300 people drowned.

Chemical spills and fire: How would you react if you heard of a chemical spill nearby or a fire which is quickly spreading?

Pandemics: Bird flu and bluetongue had a massive impact on the farming community in Suffolk in 2007. What happens if either of these, or an outbreak of influenza, was to return?

Emergency documents and contacts

The links on the right of this page work as a checklist so you can see how well you're prepared to cope with an emergency.

There are also links to a few PDF documents providing some of the information available about preparing things like grab bags in case you need to get out of your home in a hurry.

In the event of an emergency you may also find the below links of use (in alphabetical order):

´óÏó´«Ã½ WEATHER WARNINGS
Latest UK Weather and flood warnings:
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/warnings.shtml

COMAH
Control of Major Accident Hazards – advice about chemical storage and leaks as well as substances like asbestos:
www.hse.gov.uk/comah/index.htm

COMMUNITIES & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Advice about fire safety & prevention:
www.communities.gov.uk/fire/firesafety/prevention/

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Latest advice about pandemic flu, who would be at risk, alert phases and latest preparations:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/PandemicFlu

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Advice about flooding and pollution issues:
www.environment-agency.gov.uk

FIRE KILLS CAMPAIGN SITE
Advice about all aspects of fire and specific information about vulnerable people, children, pets, homes and businesses:
http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/firekills/

FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Advice about security and safety when travelling abroad:
www.fco.gov.uk/en/

HEALTH PROTECTION AGENCY
Advice about infectious diseases and pollution, flooding and chemical threats:
www.hpa.org.uk/

HIGHWAYS AGENCY
Advice about roads, traffic and driving in difficult conditions:
www.highways.gov.uk/

HOME OFFICE
Advice about terrorism and latest security advice:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security

MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY
Advice about maritime safety and coastal waters:
www.mcga.gov.uk

MET OFFICE
Forecast advice andÌýsevere weather warnings:
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/

MI5
Information on the current major threats to UK security and security advice:
www.mi5.gov.uk/

NATIONAL RAIL
Advice concerning trains and the UK rail network:
www.nationalrail.co.uk/

NHS
Advice about symptoms, 750 medical conditions and local health services near you. Also has a leaflet about coping with the stress of a major incident.
www.nhs.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES – UK GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
Advice for individuals, families and businesses on all sorts of risk including flooding, fire, pandemic flu, terrorism:
www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk/

ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)
Advice about safety and prevention of accidents at home, leisure, schools, on the roads and in the workplace:
www.rospa.com/

SUFFOLK RESILIENCE
Joint initiative between Suffolk County Council and emergency service providers:
www.suffolkresilience.com/