If you are in an emergency situation and you are at serious risk, do not delay, dial 999 and ask for Police, Ambulance or Fire Brigade
The information below will help you with emergencies which arise, such as weather events, power and other utility failures, fire, traffic or other accidents and incidents that cause significant disruption in our town.
Important contact numbers
These numbers are for issues which may arise which are not emergencies. Remember to call 999 in the event of a serious, life-threatening emergency.
Use Textphone for people with hearing or speech difficulties – 18000
Defibrillators
There are defibrillators in several locations in Abingdon. The first thing to do in any emergency is to ring 999. the emergency call centre staff will be able to direct you to your nearest defibrillator and advise you about what to do while help is on the way.
Flooding
Flood defences, warnings and emergencies are coordinated by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for the management of classified main rivers and this includes the Ock as well as the Thames. They measure the river levels at several locations around Abingdon – shown on this map (if you click on a symbol it shows a summary of the water level at that location – and a time history can then be seen by clicking on the name in the white box).
A summary of recent rainfall in Abingdon can be seen here
- Find out about local flood warnings here.
- Personal flood plan guide from the Environment Agency
There are several volunteer Flood Action Groups in Abingdon-on-Thames. Groups are advised to register with the district council so that enquiries from members of the public can be forwarded to the group.
In extreme conditions you won’t be able to stop flood water and you should always put personal safety above attempts to protect property and possessions. Despite this, there are steps that you can take to keep water out, to buy yourself time to preserve property and possessions, and to limit the damage that flood water does.
Oxfordshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority. The county council has a flood toolkit on its website and has published this advice.
Emergency Planning
Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum have produced a detailed guide that informs you how you to be better prepared for emergencies – Are You Ready emergency planning guide
Business resilience
Oxfordshire County Council provides advice for businesses on dealing with emergencies.
Contact us
If any of this information is incorrect or needs updating, please email enquiries@abingdon.gov.uk.