Dealing with extreme weather

Taking time to prepare for emergencies can protect your safety and wellbeing. It can also feel reassuring in the meantime to know you are ready in case anything goes wrong.

Writing an emergency plan

It may be a good idea to have an emergency plan written out on paper and kept where you can easily find it. It should state what to do and who to contact in an emergency. This could be useful in a stressful situation when you may be feeling anxious or confused.

Your plan should include:

• Where to turn off electricity, gas and water supplies
• Important contact numbers
• Who to tell that you are safe

To get you started, here are some key emergency contact details that should be in your plan:

• In a power cut: call 105 to be connected to your energy supplier and report a problem
• Other electrical emergencies: call Scottish and Southern Energy on 0800 300 999 (North of Scotland’s central belt only)
• Gas leaks and emergencies: call the SGN National Gas Emergency Number on 0800 111 999
• Water and wastewater emergencies: call Scottish Water on 0845 600 8855
• Flooding: call the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for the latest information about flooding in your area. For help with flood defences (e.g. sandbags) call Aberdeenshire Council on 03456 08 12 05 Mon – Fri during office hours, and Police Scotland on 101 at all other times
• In an emergency where there is a threat to public safety:
  call emergency services on 999

Emergency survival kits

It is a good idea to keep an emergency survival kit for each member of your household, in case you need to leave your home quickly.

These should be kept somewhere you can easily find them in the dark, in case of a power cut. They should be small enough to carry and include the essentials you would need to spend a few nights away from home.

Things to include:

• A copy of your emergency plan
• Small supplies of regular medications
• Toiletries and sanitary supplies
• A small First Aid kit
• Bottled water and a supply of high-energy foods that will keep for a while in your kit (such as snack bars)
• A change of clothes
• Spare keys
• Spare pair of glasses or contact lenses
• Battery powered or wind-up radio
• Torch and spare batteries
• Cash – in a power cut, you may not be able to pay by card for things like food and transport
• A spare mobile phone charger and power bank

Arranging insurance

The person who lives in a property is responsible for arranging insurance for their belongings. The building itself is usually insured by the property owner. However, check with your landlord if you are a private tenant to make sure this is the case.

Affordable insurance can be hard to find, especially if your home has been damaged before. If your home is at risk from flooding, the Scottish Flood Forum can provide advice on getting the right insurance for your belongings and property. They can help you find affordable insurance from insurers that take part in the Flood Re scheme. Flood Re is a joint Government and insurance industry initiative that allows insurance companies to keep their prices affordable and still be able to fund payouts for flooding.

Flood Re insurance policies can also include Build Back Better. This is a payout up to the value of £10,000 to cover the installation of Property Flood Resilience measures when a property is being repaired after a flood. This can reduce future insurance premiums as properties are better protected against future flooding.

Alerts and priority services

• Your gas or electricity supplier may have a Priority Services Register (PSR) for people over pension age, or with a disability or long-term health condition. Services include advance notice of service disruptions, help to arrange an alternative energy supply if you need this for medical equipment, and priority getting your energy supply restored after a power cut.
• The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s Floodline provides an update service to alert you when your area is at risk of flooding. If you have an email address, you can complete the sign-up process online at floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates. Call 0345 988 1188 to sign up without email.
• The Met Office provides weather warnings on its app, on social media and via email. Visit www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/ guides/warnings for more information.
• Tune into local radio stations to hear the latest updates on weather conditions.

Organising your paperwork

Knowing where to find important information and documents can help you feel more in control. It can also save you time and worry in situations where you need to reach out for support.

Important contact details

Keeping useful contacts handy means problems can be resolved much faster. Make sure you include contact details for your:

• doctor
• dentist
• energy suppliers
• phone provider
• insurance companies
• trusted tradespeople or landlord to take care of repairs

Age Scotland also has a Useful Contacts guide listing organisations that offer advice and information on specific topics. You can order a copy by calling the Age Scotland helpline on 0800 12 44 222.

Health services: who can help?

There are several ways to access NHS services. Knowing which service to turn to for your health issue or question could help you get the right advice sooner.

If you are experiencing chest pains, advice from NHS Inform is to call 999. More information and advice can be found by searching chest pain at www.nhsinform.scot.

Pharmacists can give advice if you have a sore throat, cold or aches and pains. They can recommend non-prescription medicines and can advise you on whether you need to see a doctor. Pharmacists can also answer questions about medications you have been prescribed and which medicines may affect each other.

Prescriptions are free in Scotland. Most pharmacies will deliver your prescription to you if you cannot collect it yourself, but some may charge for this.

The NHS Pharmacy First service enables pharmacists to provide free treatment for some minor illnesses and conditions to people who are registered with a GP in Scotland. You need to register for this service at a community pharmacy.

GP practices offer a range of services to prevent and treat illnesses and support people with long-term physical and mental health conditions. GPs can also refer you to hospitals, specialists and other health services.

If you have new symptoms that a pharmacist cannot advise on, or that are continuing or worsening after a few days, contact your GP surgery. Many GP appointments are now carried out by phone with follow up face-to-face appointments if needed.

NHS 24 is a 24-hour national service staffed by health professionals and can provide urgent health advice out of hours. They can connect you to your local Accident and Emergency service or the Scottish Ambulance Service if needed. Call them on 111 or visit their website www.nhs24.scot.

NHS Inform can provide information about health issues and services, and about your rights and responsibilities when using the NHS. Information is available on their website www.nhsinform.scot or you can call them on 0800 22 44 88.

Minor injuries units are for patients with non-life-threatening injuries. They are often based in hospitals and can treat broken bones, minor burns, head and eye injuries, and insect and animal bites. They can arrange for you to be transferred for specialist help if they find a more serious problem. You can find your nearest unit by calling
NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88 or find information on the Scotland’s
service directory section of their website www.nhsinform.scot.