The Kent Flood Risk and Water Management Committee are scheduled to meet on Wednesday 29th October 2025 to discuss flood risk and water management in Kent. Presentations from South East Water, the Environment Agency, and the Southern Water Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force are scheduled, as well as an update on the Kent County Council (KCC) Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. The committee will also be reviewing KCC's severe weather response activity.

KCC Severe Weather Response Activity Report

The committee is scheduled to receive an update on severe weather alerts and warnings received from the Met Office and the Environment Agency, and the corresponding response activity led by KCC since the last committee meeting on 2 July 2025.

According to the KCC Severe Weather Response Activity Report - July to September 2025, between July and September 2025, there were 8 flood alerts raised, and 12 weather alerts, of which 2 were amber alerts for heath health and thunderstorm.

The Thames Barrier was closed on three occasions in the same period for testing purposes.

The report also contains a comparison of alerts received between July and September 2025, and the equivalent period in 2024. For example, there were 3 water outages reported in July to September 2025, compared to 2 in the same period in 2024. In the current period there were 3 flood alerts, compared to 15 in the previous year, and no flood warnings, compared to 3 in the previous year.

The report notes that across the county, 85,500 residential and commercial addresses are recognised to be in areas at risk from fluvial (river) or tidal (coastal) flooding . The report states that where possible, flood vulnerable properties are offered a Flood Warning Service by the Environment Agency.

The report is scheduled to recommend that the committee members note the warnings received since the last meeting, contribute to further planning, and comply with response policy and practice through oversight and debate.

Presentations from water companies and the Environment Agency

The committee is scheduled to hear presentations from South East Water, the Environment Agency, and the Southern Water Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force. The agenda does not specify the content of these presentations.

KCC Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

The committee is scheduled to receive a verbal update on the KCC Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. The agenda does not specify the content of this update.

Minutes from the previous meeting

The committee is scheduled to review the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2025¹. During that meeting, the committee discussed Environment Agency and Met Office alerts and warnings, and KCC's severe weather response activity.