Storm Ciarán is set to hit Hampshire soon, and Southern Water has offered out some tips to Hampshire residents on what to do in an emergency situation.

Much of the county is covered by an amber weather warning for wind as well as a yellow weather warning for rain.

In terms of what to expect the Met Office has said there could be flying debris, power cuts, large waves crashing onto seafronts and flooding.

If your home does end up being flooded during Storm Ciarán Southern Water has some advice on what to do in such a situation.

What to do if your home in Hampshire is flooded

On the Southern Water website, it says to call the emergency number 0330 303 0368 to report an incident of your home flooding and to mention if any nearby properties are affected.

In terms of immediate follow-up actions to take Southern Water recommends:

  • Keep children and pets away from the flooded areas.
  • If it's safe to do so, isolate all electrical circuits by turning off the supply at the circuit board or fuse box.
  • Contact your insurance provider to report the damage and make a claim (keep receipts of emergency expenses). Any claims for loss or damage must be directed to your insurance provider.
  • If it's safe to do so, take photos of the flooded area – these could support your insurance claim and help us to determine why the flooding has happened and whether you’re entitled to a payment under our Guaranteed Standards of Service.
  • If you live in a rented property, you should contact your landlord and let them know.

Much of the same advice also applies if it is just your garden that is flooded, minus the electrical circuits instruction.

Southern Water says it aims to be with you "within two hours of the incident being reported".

They add: "Every flooding incident is different, and we want to ensure we prioritise the most severe and distressing incidents first."

What do different weather warnings mean?

Once Southern Water workers arrive they'll aim to find the cause of the flooding as well as have a member of the team explain everything and provide their details.

"If needed, they will also reach out to our team of Customer Case Leads, who will then be your dedicated point of contact until the incident is fully resolved," they add.

After that, they will offer to arrange for a specialist clean-up of the affected area. This would hopefully be four hours after the incident was initially reported but in severe weather it can take longer.

They'll aim to have this clean-up complete within 12 hours of being instructed, but additional time may be needed for drying out.

"The team will remove any sewage debris, clean, disinfect, decontaminate, and install dehumidifiers until the area is thoroughly dried out. This will all be done free of charge," they add.