Watford Borough Council

Members of Hertfordshire Resilience, the county's forum for emergency planning, are calling on residents to think of ways they could prepare ahead of the unexpected - such as severe weather, power failure or a flu crisis.

They have distributed thousands of postcards with useful contacts information including:

• www.hertsdirect.org/readyforanything - tel: 01438 737555
• www.environment-agency.gov.uk or Flood line warning service tel: 0845 988 1188
• www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or tel: 0845 46 47
• Hertfordshire Constabulary - www.herts.police.uk or tel: 0845 3300 222

Remember always keep copies of important paperwork (insurance policies, passports, financial arrangements) somewhere safe and where they can be accessed in an emergency without putting yourself at risk.

During a large scale emergency information about weather, travel, school closures and local services can also be obtained from the BBC's 'Connecting in a Crisis' service www.bbc.co.uk/connectinginacrisis or tune into your local radio sation.