// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
'Prepare for the unthinkable' warning over autumn flooding
Communities can often be at risk from both rivers and the sea
People are being told to prepare for "the unthinkable" as flood response teams warn of a heightened risk over the autumn.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it was concerned by long-range forecasts, external which indicated an increased likelihood of wetter, windier weather than usual over the coming months.
Those living in flood-hit areas told BBC Wales they were worried, and had started preparing.
One in seven properties in Wales is classed as being at risk of flooding, but NRW said just 27% of those eligible to receive flood warnings to their phone or email were currently signed up.
NRW's Jeremy Parr says understanding your flood risk, signing up for warnings and having a plan can make a difference
After a summer marked by drought and wildfires, the organisation has urged people "not to become complacent" and said conditions could change quickly.
Wales has seen a series of major floods in recent years, often in the wake of powerful storms such as Dennis in 2020, Bert and Darragh in 2024 and Claudia in 2025.
The threat comes from both rivers and the sea, while surface water flooding - where local drainage systems become overwhelmed during heavy downpours - is seen as an increasing danger.
NRW argues that the country's geography makes it particularly vulnerable - with a vast coastline and several so-called "fast-responding" rivers which can fill at speed as rain runs off steep terrain in places like the south Wales valleys.