Severn Trent issues flooding advice ahead of Storm Eowyn

Severn Trent and Hafren Dyfrdwy both issued flooding advice to customers on 23 January 2025, ahead of Storm Eowyn, which the Met Office had placed under weather warnings for much of the country on Friday and Saturday¹. Severn Trent said the majority of its region had yellow warnings for wind and rain, with coastal areas including parts of Wales expected to be in amber and worst hit¹. Hafren Dyfrdwy, which provides a water only service in Wrexham and parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire and both water and wastewater services in Powys, issued the same warning picture².

Both companies reported 70mph gusts in some areas and said the stormy weather, which may bring snow to higher ground, was expected to continue on Saturday before calming by Sunday. Eowyn is the fifth named storm of the season¹. Severn Trent said strong winds have in the past caused travel disruption, structural damage to buildings, uprooted trees and power cuts¹. Hafren Dyfrdwy asked people to be careful if they were thinking about visiting Lake Vyrnwy over the next few days, as it suffered significant damage after Storm Darragh hit just before Christmas and a clean-up operation is still ongoing².

The two companies gave the same guidance on who to contact, with one difference for major river flooding: Severn Trent customers are directed to the Environment Agency, whose Floodline number it gives as 0345 988 1188, while Hafren Dyfrdwy customers are directed to Natural Resources Wales¹.

Both companies said that where flooding is due to heavy rain, they may need to wait for the flood water to subside before they can investigate¹. Their other suggested steps were to empty water butts in the garden before the rain starts to reduce rainwater flow into drains, to check that home and garden drains are free-flowing and clear leaves or other waste, and to clear leaves or debris from roadside drains where possible or contact the local council if they are blocked¹.

Scott Ludford, from the Network Control team, said Storm Eowyn would see heavy rain but it should be less than seen in Storm Darragh in December¹.

Why it matters for households

Households in the Severn Trent region and in the Hafren Dyfrdwy area of Wales faced wind and rain warnings on Friday and Saturday, with amber warnings expected for coastal areas including parts of Wales¹. The advice sets out which body handles which kind of flooding, so that households report it to the right place: the council for roads, small watercourses and surface water; the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales for rising river levels; and the water company for sewer flooding or burst pipes¹. Both companies advise customers to contact their insurer as well¹. The flood alerts, flood warnings and severe flood warnings guide explains the warning levels, and households can read how to sign up for free flood warnings. The who to report flooding to guide covers the same split of responsibilities, and what to do during a flood at home and the checklist when a flood warning is issued set out the practical steps. The wider flooding guide covers preparation, flood doors and windows and home insurance in a flood risk area and Flood Re.

What happens next

The stormy weather was expected to continue on Saturday and to calm by Sunday¹. No further updates from either company have been reported.