WEST Devon Borough Council is urging all residents to take a few moments before winter strikes, to make sure that they are well prepared for the bad weather. 

To help residents, the council has put together the “Are you ready for winter?” campaign 2017, which wraps up the best safety advice and alert services from the council and its partners.

This allows residents to make the most of the winter, safely.

To make it even easier, West Devon Borough Council has taken the best advice from its partners to tell you where you can find important information quickly and easily.? - Looking for information about floods and how to be #floodaware? Follow the Environment Agency - @EnvAgencySW .? - Is there a storm approaching? Follow @metofficestorms or @metofficeSWEng .? - Worried out the road network in bad weather? check in with @Devonalerts and @highwaysengland .? - Worried about Flu or winter bugs? Go to @NHSchoices .

Cllr Jeff Moody, West Devon Borough Council’s Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Each year, around the festive season, we work with our partners and government agencies to put out vital messages to residents, about health and safety during this period, and also any important weather advice.

“It’s so important that residents use this time before the full might of winter strikes, to get familiar with all the key information that can be found on our partners’ social media sites. There is great advice there about flooding and how to prepare for it, how to get your car ready for winter, or even what is happening out on the roads.

“Parish and Town Councils are also crucial in emergency situations because most of them have a plan of what to do in bad weather. Residents should get in touch with them beforehand about the emergency plan. They can also get more information about how to get hold of sandbags, who designated snow wardens are and also who are the people trained to work in road clearing gullies. 

“We are really asking all residents to act quickly by following us as well as the Environment Agency, Devon County Council and the Met Office on ’Twitter’ and ’Facebook’. Please avoid being caught unprepared in a time of crisis.”

Residents can also see retweets and shared messages from the council on social media about “Are you ready for winter?” messages from the council’s partners.

The council says that all it takes is a few moments of time to prepare in the event of an emergency. It says there will be less impact on everyone if we all get ready for winter. 

For further details, visit: www.westdevon.gov.uk/areyoureadyforwinter2017 .

Alan Quick