Operations
delivery workers from the Environment Agency
will reduce the risk of flooding from a
Darlington beck by removing tonnes of silt
- by hand.
Operations delivery
workers from the Environment Agency will
reduce the risk of flooding from a Darlington
beck by removing tonnes of silt - by hand.
Work has already started
to remove 55 tonnes of silt which has built
up in Cockerbeck in Westbrook Terrace.
Access to the beck means
that a mini digger has had to be lowered
into the watercourse to load the silt into
two motorised wheelbarrows which are then
pushed by hand through the water and moved
to a nearby excavator to take the silt away.
Silt and debris which
has built up in the beck prevents the drains
from discharging effectively during heavy
rain, which may lead to flooding on roads.
Environment Agency project
manager Andrew Foster said: "Access
to the site is so tight that the only way
we can get to the water to carry out the
work is by bringing a JCB in to lower a
mini digger into the beck every morning
and to take it out every night.
"The silt has caused
some local drainage problems, and if it
is not removed, it could increase flood
risk in the area and threaten nearby North
Road which is one of the main routes into
Darlington."
The team also face an
extra challenge because a 1.2 metre high
bridge spans the watercourse which means
workmen will have to stoop every time they
cart a barrow of silt away.
They have already removed
four tonnes of debris which had collected
under the bridge, including road barriers,
tarpaulins, logs and a bike.
Some of the silt will
be left in the watercourse to contain the
flow within the channel, and the work, which
is costing £31,000, started on Monday
and is expected to last two weeks.
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Environment Agency remains
on high alert as storms hit the south
The Environment Agency
was out in force throughout the night as
high rainfall and tidal surges hit the south.
The rainfall has eased and many rivers across
the region are receding but the Environment
Agency is continuing to monitor the situation
throughout.
The Environment Agency was out in force
throughout the night as high rainfall and
tidal surges hit the south. The rainfall
has eased and many rivers across the region
are receding but the Environment Agency
is continuing to monitor the situation throughout
the day.
Over the last 24 hours
the region experienced heavy rainfall with
the highest amounts (50mm) recorded in some
coastal areas in Hampshire and Sussex. Significant
tidal surges, caused by a combination of
low pressure and strong southerly winds,
were also seen on top of spring tides along
the south coast particularly around Hampshire
& Isle of Wight and West Sussex.
There were some reports
of properties flooded across the region.
Environment Agency teams have been working
throughout the night to monitor tides, rainfall
and river levels and reducing flood risk
where possible by:
• Using bulldozers to shore up shingle at
beaches in Medmerry and Climping in West
Sussex.
• Clearing river grills across the region
including Eastbourne, Hellingly, Uckfield,
Haywards Heath and Lewes.
• When properties in Wallington, north of
Fareham were faced with flooding, the Environment
Agency worked with the fire and rescue service
to minimise the risk of property flooding.
• Temporary demountable flood defences that
were tested in Sandwich, Kent yesterday
were installed again this morning reducing
flood risk to 32 properties.
• Further demountable defences were also
put up in Robertsbridge, East Sussex and
Brasted in Kent.
Mark Tinnion, Flood and Coastal Risk Manager,
said: “We can’t stop all flooding from happening
and we did receive some reports of flooded
properties in the region. But we work hard
to reduce the risk as much as possible.
Our teams have been working throughout the
night to monitor the ongoing situation so
we can warn people, giving them valuable
time to protect themselves and their property.
And we have been preparing our rivers and
beaches as much as possible ahead of the
rainfall and high tides.
“There was an exceptional amount of rain
– across our region the amount of water
falling equated to over 200 swimming pools
a minute. This has caused a lot of surface
water flooding so people out and about should
remain vigilant and avoid walking or driving
through flood water.”
More follows…
Anyone concerned about
flood risk can call the Environment Agency’s
Floodline on 0845 988 1188, tune in to local
media for updates or visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk
for more information.
Mark continued: “This
event is a reminder of how important it
is to prepare for flooding. We urge anyone
who lives in an area at risk of flooding
to call us for advice on the simple measures
you can take to limit the impact on yourselves
and your property and find out about our
24-hour flood warning service for that gives
advance warning of flooding by telephone,
mobile, fax or pager. A Flood Warning is
issued when flooding of homes and businesses
is expected. If you receive a flood warning
you should act now to limit the impact on
yourselves and your home.”
To register for the
service call Floodline on 0845 988 1188,
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All that is needed to register is a telephone
number where flood warnings can be sent
24 hours a day.
Dying trees cleared
at Llandovery to avoid flood risk
Dying trees near the River Bran at Llandovery
will be felled next week to ensure that
they do not become a major flood risk.
Environment Agency Wales
operational staff will be clearing the trees
from the left bank of the river Bran above
Swan Bridge, Llandovery, during the week
starting next Monday 9th February.
The majority of the
trees are alder, and they are infected with
a fungal disease Phytophthora, which is
carried in water and infects the trees through
their roots, causing root rot. Many of the
existing trees are dying, and the Agency
intend to fell them before they pose a risk
to the area during floods as they can fall
into the river and block the flow.
Peter Morgan, from the
Agency’s Technical Support team said: ‘We
monitor the Rivers Bran and Gwydderig at
Llandovery throughout the year due to its
flooding history. The Agency endeavours
to remove blockages within this river system
before the debris restricts channel capacity
increasing the risk of flooding. We generally
don’t encourage removing trees but in this
instance the trees potentially pose a high
risk to flooding.
‘The trees are in the
flood plain, at the foot of an earth embankment
directly upstream of Swan Bridge on the
River Bran. Tree blockages caused by dead
and dying trees such these have contributed
to flooding in the past. What we’re doing
helps to reduce the threat of flooding in
the area around the bridge.’
The Agency will be replanting
with suitable tree species once the existing
trees have been felled. They will be placed
in an area safe from flooding. Ecologists
from the Agency have assessed the trees
for the presence of protected species.
