A message from Devon County Council 26th January 2026
What would you do in the event of a serious incident such as power cut or water outage?
Planning ahead doesn't make you a pessimist. It just means you're more ready for it.
Emergencies happen every day. Often they're unforeseen but sometimes there's more risk of something happening, for example heavy rain or severe winter weather. At best, it's an inconvenience, but at worst, it could put you and your family at risk of harm.
Some emergencies happen instantly or very quickly, and other times there might be a gradual escalating of a situation allowing some notice of what might happen, for example lots of rainfall, swollen rivers, leading to localised flooding.
The Government publishes information online about emergencies, which includes a few simple and effective steps that you should consider to prepare for them and the disruption they cause.
Many of these activities can be helpful across a range of different types of emergency. You might not be able to undertake all of the steps, but there are lots of suggestions that won't cost anything and just take a few minutes to do.
Taking some time to plan ahead will give you some confidence that if an emergency does happen, you'd know what you would do, where you would go, or who you would call for help, making it easier to manage and recover faster. It might mean you are better able to help others who need additional support too.
This newsletter doesn't cover all emergency eventualities, but there are some here that you might want to remember or share with others.
Remember to call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
Further information, advice and support is available on the Devon County Council website:
- Power cuts
- Water outages
- Are you on the Priority Services Register?
- Flooding
- Cold weather
- School Closures
Checklist: Are you weather ready?
