#30days30waysuk – What Emergency?

I don’t need to worry about emergencies where I live!

Emergencies don’t happen where I live!  The word emergencies may make you think of tragic events such as COVID, attacks on London & Manchester or wide scale flooding, but it pays to be prepared for those smaller emergencies.

The truth is that communities are likely to be impacted by many different emergencies in a lifetime, but what you need to plan and prepare for will vary depending on where you live. What emergencies have happened in Norfolk over the past few years?

2018

  • Snow, ice & freezing temperatures spread across the County closing schools, businesses & causing severe travel disruption.  The Met Office issued a number of weather warnings with Emergency Services taking a much-increased number of calls for help.
  • 12 bungalows were demolished in Hemsby when cliffs collapsed into the sea.  Back in 2018 up to 50ft of the cliffs had eroded.
  • 20+ families needed shelter after a fire broke out at a recycling centre in Norwich with nearby residents advised to Go In, Stay In and Tune In. More than 50 firefighters responded to the incident, working through the night.  
  • A busy hotel and eatery next to a busy A road caught fire causing lots of displacement to guests and traffic.  The business was shut for a period of months whilst being rebuilt.
  • A street of residents were evacuated after Police cordoned the area following a suspected IED.  Luckily many of them were at work during the event so weren’t considerably impacted.

2019

  • A 7ft sinkhole in Sheringham became a tourist attraction closing the road and impacting access to local businesses.
  • Shoppers, residents & diners were evacuated from a busy retail park following reports of a gas leak.
  • 101 properties were flooded in October due to Norfolk wide surface water flooding closing a critical road.

2020

  • Two football pitches worth of cliff collapsed into the sea at Trimingham causing a row of caravans to be relocated.
  • Heavy rainfall flooded 9 coastal properties.
  • Coronavirus has had varying impacts on individuals, communities and businesses throughout the County.

Know the risks. Be informed. Get prepared!

We’ve shared just a few of the incidents that have happened in the County, knowing the risks and being informed will help you be better prepared for any emergency.  You can find further information in the ‘Are You Prepared‘ leaflet.

If you’re a business, check out our preparing your business section.