When Mary Long-Dhonau awoke to find her Windsor home thigh-deep in floodwater in October 2000, she was greeted by a scene she would never forget: not only were her own belongings floating around, but so were her neighbors’ toilet paper and condoms. It was, as she recalls, a “devastating” experience—one that would spark a transformation in her life and, ultimately, help shape the way communities prepare for the unpredictable threat of flooding. “That was one thing to this day that I remember—the other people’s toilet paper floating about in the house,” Mary told BBC. The incident, known as the Great Floods of 2000, had followed weeks of relentless rain, saturating the ground and overwhelming the drains in her neighborhood. It wasn’t the first time her home had flooded, but it was the last time she would be caught unprepared.
In the 25 years since that fateful night, Mary—now affectionately known as “Flood Mary”—has devoted herself to researching and advocating for flood resilience. She’s become a familiar face across the East Midlands, traveling from her home in Herefordshire to educate residents about practical ways to protect their homes from future floods. Her mission is deeply personal: “I was just so upset because I wasn’t prepared for it, and I lost so much,” she said. “And whilst you can replace a carpet or your sofa, you can’t replace your memories. And that’s why I’m so passionate about people preparing for flood.”
Mary’s journey from victim to advocate began with a “lightbulb moment” after that 2000 flood. Determined to never experience such loss again, she set about making her home “flood recoverable.” She replaced soft furnishings with ceramic tiles on the floor and waterproof plaster on the walls, so that when the next flood came, the damage was minimal. “Next time we were hit by heavy rain, we only had paddles instead of being submerged in water thigh-deep,” she recounted. This transformation inspired her to help others do the same—offering advice, support, and practical tips to anyone willing to listen.
Her top recommendations are refreshingly simple: know your flood risk and sign up for Environment Agency alerts; have a flood to-do list ready; move your car and personal belongings—especially sentimental items—upstairs or to a safe place; and get creative with furniture protection (Mary famously puts her kitchen table legs in wellington boots and plastic buckets, then stacks a plastic box on top). For those living in bungalows, she suggests enlisting friends to store precious items. The message is clear: while you can’t stop the rain, you can certainly prepare for its consequences.
Mary’s message has found a receptive audience in recent years, especially after a major flooding incident in January 2025 that affected Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. Severe, danger-to-life warnings were issued at caravan parks along the River Soar, and local authorities scrambled to respond. “Since the floods in January, the Environment Agency and the local authorities have invited me to numerous places in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland just to show people what they can do to better protect their property,” Mary explained. “There’s so much that can be done.”
County councillor Christine Wise, who has worked alongside Mary and the Environment Agency, echoed the sentiment: “We can’t do anything to prevent flooding—we have no control over how much rain falls, how hard and how much. But what we can do is better prepare our own assets as a council and help residents prepare their property to better withstand any flooding events.” The council has increased gully cleansing and targeted maintenance on drains known to block with debris, all in an effort to make communities more resilient.
While Mary’s grassroots approach focuses on empowering individuals, large-scale disasters in the United States have prompted sweeping changes in how communities prepare for floods. In Colorado, a catastrophic flash flood in Big Thompson Canyon on July 31, 1976, killed 144 people and caused damages equivalent to $220 million in today’s money. The tragedy was a wake-up call that led officials to ask: could more be done to prevent such loss of life?
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the answer was a resounding yes. Colorado invested millions in a sophisticated flood warning system: rainfall gauges track every millimeter of precipitation, stream gauges monitor water levels, and all data is sent in real time to a central system. Emergency officials receive instant alerts if water levels rise too quickly, and multiple warning methods—including sirens and phone alerts—ensure the public is notified as soon as danger looms. The system’s effectiveness relies on constant training, regular drills, and, crucially, public education about what to do when a warning comes.
“You can’t stop the flood from happening, but if you can observe it and understand the level of threat you’re dealing with, you can be part of the process and affect an appropriate response and hopefully save lives,” said Kevin Stewart, who spent nearly four decades with Denver’s Mile High Flood District. The district now operates more than 200 rain gauges and about 100 stream gauges, each reporting data every two minutes. Private meteorologists provide hyper-localized forecasts, and the district spends over $1 million per year maintaining and upgrading the system.
The human element remains just as vital as the technology. Mike Chard, director of the Boulder Office of Disaster Management, likens his team to “para-meteorologists”—trained to interpret radar and forecasts so they can act quickly. “If I’m waiting for the stream gauge to react to the storm, I’m late,” Chard told the Express-News. His office uses a virtual rain gauge system and a scoring sheet to assess threats, ensuring that first responders can be notified within minutes when thresholds are met. The goal is to get evacuation alerts out fast, because, as Chard noted, people often hesitate before acting. “That’s an hour right there, and time is precious in an event like a flash flood.”
The warning systems and decades of practice were put to the test in September 2013, when record-breaking rains brought widespread flooding to Colorado. Eight people died, but officials believe the toll could have been much higher without the systems in place. In the small town of Lyons, sirens blared as the North St. Vrain Creek rose, prompting residents to flee. “It got us moving, up and out to higher ground,” survivor Linda Hubbard recounted, even as some criticized the system’s timing. The experience reinforced the importance of preparedness and rapid response.
Tragedy has also spurred action in Texas. On July 4, 2025, flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County claimed 119 lives—another grim reminder of nature’s power. In the aftermath, Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, made the installation of a modern flood warning system a top priority. Legislators approved tens of millions in funding for sirens, gauges, and improved forecasting. Local authorities have formed a Flood Warning System Project Team and are working to launch new monitoring dashboards by January. “The next one’s bound to happen at some point,” Stewart warned. “It’s a surprise when it happens. But it’s not a surprise that it can happen.”
From Mary Long-Dhonau’s living room in England to the canyons of Colorado and rivers of Texas, the message is the same: floods are inevitable, but preparation can make all the difference. Whether it’s a kitchen table in wellington boots or a network of high-tech gauges, resilience begins with the decision to act before disaster strikes.
