Winter can throw all sorts at us in Dorset. It could be plunging temperatures, high winds or flooding, leading to being stuck at or away from home, power disruption, fire, or managing our health at home.
We try our best to maintain services, but we could be disrupted too. Be ready with these simple steps:
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Our disrupted services web page shows the status of our key services and guidance if a service is disrupted.
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Flooding: health guidance and advice
Sign up for severe weather warnings or search #WeatherReady on Twitter.
Download SSEN’s free Power Track app for local power cut information and updates
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Sign up to Priority Services Registers for free extra help for people in vulnerable situations when there’s an interruption to your energy or water supply. You can join the Priority Services Register if you:
You need to sign up with each energy or water supplier you use.
People, such as park home residents, who do not have direct contracts or meters with their utilities providers may need to obtain the customer reference numbers for their utilities contracts from the person who pays the bill, such as the park home owner.
If you need help, you can get free, independent and confidential advice from Citizens Advice Dorset.
A household emergency plan will help you and your family in an emergency such as evacuation or being stranded away from home. It ensures you have essential phone numbers, documents, information and possessions to hand, and know what to do.
If you are asked to leave your home by the emergency services, take your completed action plan and emergency grab bag, and leave as quickly as possible.
Your household emergency plan should include:
Write down names, numbers, and details now so you have them in a rush. Keep copies in your grab bag and with your emergency friend.
An emergency could happen at any time. Make an emergency grab bag with essentials in case you must evacuate your home and make a car grab bag that stays in your car
Remember you may not be able to get home so include essential items from your home grab bag list:
Add your ICE contacts to your phone or in your purse or wallet so emergency services can find emergency contact details for you, if you cannot tell them. Make sure your ICE contacts have a list of people to contact on your behalf and know any important medical information.
Simply add ICE at the beginning of your emergency contact’s name and add their number. For example, write ICESarah 08785 616161.
If your ICE contact is deaf, write ICETEXTSarah and their number.
If you want more than one ICE contact, simply write them as ICE1Sarah and their number, ICE2Zahid and their number and so on.
Do you really need to make the journey? If so:
Getting outside is great for our health but weather can turn quickly so follow these tips for a safe day out.
When there is a rain warning in place, there are things you can do to be prepared for flooding at and away from home.
If you need to drive somewhere know how to prepare, drive and stay safe if you are cut off.
When there is a wind warning in place, here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your property and to drive safely.
People of all ages can be vulnerable in bad weather. Disabilities and health conditions can be hidden. Tips to help people you know who live alone:
Ideally your home and those of elderly relatives and neighbours should be at least 18°C. During cold spells, keep your windows closed at night as this can cause a real drop in the temperature indoors. If you have a heating boiler, consider getting it serviced.
Things you can do to help stay warm:
Keeping warm can prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression. Cold weather can make some health problems worse and even lead to serious complications, especially if you're 65 or older, or if have a long-term health condition.
Things you can do to help stay well:
Community resilience or involvement empowers individuals, businesses and community groups to take collective action to identify and support vulnerable individuals and promote resilience.
In Dorset, voluntary organisations offer support in times of need in addition to our emergency services. You can help in all sorts of ways from using your 4 by 4 vehicle to help others, to fundraising and providing administrative support.
Volunteer to be part of our community resilience or find out more.
