"You Don’t Forget the Fox on the Mound": What It Means to Be a Flood Responder in Britain’s Climate Emergency
Posted by Olivia Everett 19th May 2025 Stories
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
As storms worsen and floodwaters rise, volunteers like Chris stand ready to respond, but it’s the strange moments, not the heroic ones, that stay with him.
For Chris, a trained REACT Flood Commander, the deployment bag by the door is more than a piece of kit. It’s a signal. That somewhere, water is rushing in where it shouldn’t. And it’s time to move.
"Every time I deploy, my thoughts always turn to my family, who support me fully," Chris says. "They rally to ensure the small details are covered - food for the journey, a loving hug, and a reminder to call when I arrive to let them know I am safe."
REACT’s Flood Response Team deploys across the UK to help communities hit by climate-fuelled disasters. Volunteers – many ex-military, or frontline responders like Chris, are trained in swift water rescue and first aid. But no training quite prepares you for the surreal.
"How can you prepare for the truly bizarre? It's not always the disaster that stays with you. For instance, wading along a flooded drive, with fish leaping up from the knee-deep water. Looking to the left and seeing a drenched fox stranded on a grassy mound that was once a vast, open field."
Chris is one of our in-house Flood Responders on REACT’s frontlines, and with climate-linked flooding predicted to surge in the UK, their work is more urgent than ever. The UK Resilience Academy and partners like Fernco are working alongside REACT to build capacity, but keeping supporting those in their greatest hour of need remain at the heart of the mission.
“You do your best – move the fridge freezers, clear the access routes, calm the family whose house is under water. But sometimes it still doesn’t feel like enough. We all carry that."
That emotional burden is part of what REACT addresses through its constant training cycle. It’s not just about ropes and drysuits. It’s about mental resilience, trust in the team, and the ability to face someone who’s just lost everything, whilst staying present.
Every flood is different. But the mission is always the same: reduce suffering. Support people in crisis. And never forget the humanity in the small stuff.
From Chris’s perspective, this isn’t heroism. It’s service. But in a country where communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate extremes, stories like his make clear that trained volunteers are a lifeline.
“Every moment is different, but worth every second of effort.”
The UK is entering a critical period of climate-driven flood risk. According to the Environment Agency, approximately 6.3 million properties in England are currently at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, or surface water. This number is projected to rise to around 8 million by mid-century, meaning one in four properties could be affected.
Infrastructure is also vulnerable. Currently, 38% of roads and 37% of railways in England are in areas at risk from one or more sources of flooding. With climate change projections, these figures could rise to 46% for roads and 54% for railways by mid-century.
These statistics highlight the urgent need for proactive flood response and resilience measures. REACT’s trained volunteer Responders, like Chris, play a vital role in mitigating the impacts of flooding and supporting affected communities.