The Environment
Agency and Met Office are warning of possible
flooding to parts of southern England this
weekend and early next week due to a week
of sustained rainfall, culminating in persistent
and potentially heavy rain on Sunday.
Heavy rainfall on already
wet ground across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight could lead to potential
flooding from rivers. Strong winds will
accompany the heavy rainfall this weekend
and together with high tides forecast for
next week, this could also increase the
risk of flooding along the region’s coastline.
In preparation for this
further period of wet and adverse weather,
Environment Agency Officers have been busy
working throughout the week to monitor river
levels, check flood defences and ensure
drains and culverts are free from debris
to reduce potential flood risk where possible
across the region.
A number of Flood Watches
have already been issued in parts of the
region and these may increase as rivers
respond to rainfall this weekend. Across
the south east around 50 to 75mm of rain
has already fallen so far this week, and
with more heavy rain forecast over the weekend
and into next week, the Environment Agency
is encouraging people living in areas at
risk of flooding to remind themselves of
the action they must take to prepare for
possible flooding.
Andrew Gilham, Flood
and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment
Agency’s Southern Region, said: “We’ve had
a lot of rain during this week and as a
result the ground is now saturated and river
levels have risen. Our staff are out in
force working tirelessly to reduce any possible
risk of flooding across the region.
“Now is an ideal time
for anyone living in an area vulnerable
to flooding to think about the steps they
can take to protect their properties. By
taking simple precautions we can limit the
damage a flood can leave behind.
“We are receiving regular
detailed forecasts from the Met Office,
continuously monitoring river levels and
have had officers out throughout the week
checking river levels and clearing blockages
to prepare for the rainfall. Thankfully
we’ve not yet had any reports of properties
flooded but with flood watches and warnings
being issued we could see some instances
of flooding.”
The rain could also
lead to some localised flooding from runoff
and drains unable to cope with the increased
volumes of water. The Environment Agency
is also in close communication with Local
Authorities and emergency services should
there be any surface water flooding.
Richard Young, Chief
Forecaster at the Met Office, said: “After
the wet weather this week we are expecting
more heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds,
over southern England on Sunday. We are
monitoring how the situation develops and
you are advised to keep up to date with
the latest forecast on TV, radio or online
at www.metoffice.gov.uk .”
The Environment Agency
provides a 24-hour flood warning service
for England and Wales. Floodline Warnings
Direct is a free service that gives advance
warning of flooding by telephone, mobile,
fax or pager.
The Environment Agency
recently announced plans to sign up almost
50,000 additional homes and businesses at
risk of flooding in Sussex, Kent, Hampshire
and Isle of Wight to automatically receive
free flood warnings next month.
For advice on steps
you can take to protect yourself and you
property call Floodline on 0845 988 1188,
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Further advice and latest information on
flood warnings is also available at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood.
Notes to Editors
On 11 February 2010,
the Environment Agency announced that over
£85 million will be allocated to reduce
the risk of flood and coastal erosion in
southern England in the next financial year
(April 2010 to March 2011).
The investment includes
funds to build new and maintain existing
river and coastal defence schemes, develop
flood forecasting technologies and to further
raise awareness of flood risk.
The investment forms
part of the Environment Agency’s strategy
to reduce the risk of flooding to almost
20,000 additional properties across Kent,
Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
by 2015.
+ More
New Environment Agency
flood barrier for Rothbury
Residents of Rothbury
are to benefit from the installation of
a demountable flood barrier next week, following
a successful trial last year.
The £15,000 barrier
has been designed so it can be easily and
speedily erected before flooding, acting
as the first line of defence for nearby
properties at Armstrong Cottages and allowing
Town Foot road to remain open to emergency
vehicles and residents.
The barrier’s permanent framework will take
four days for contractors to install, and
follows the Environment Agency’s trial of
a temporary barrier in December 2009. It
is being erected as part of the Environment
Agency’s response to the flooding in Rothbury
in September 2008 and the high water levels
last summer.
The barrier has been
specifically designed to block the opening
down to the river and, once the basic framework
has been installed, the sections that complete
the defence will be stored in nearby Forestry
Commission premises.
Bob Carrick, the Environment
Agency’s project co-ordinator, said: “We
carried out trials with a temporary barrier
system last year, and this new barrier is
the permanent result of those trials.
“It’s lighter than the
temporary barrier, which means we can set
it up faster and more easily, and thanks
to the Forestry Commission we can keep the
removable sections in storage nearby until
they’re needed.”
The work is being funded
by money from the Northumbria Regional Flood
Defence Committee’s Local Levy Fund. This
is raised from local authorities across
the North East to spend on local flood reduction
schemes, and complements central government
funding.
The Environment Agency’s
Local Levy team are to improve the boundary
walls around the Maltings in the next few
months. Following site investigations and
a structural assessment, the southern wall
foundations will be strengthened and then
the wall height will be raised over parts
of its length. A new length of wall will
be constructed in the allotment gardens
adjacent to the existing wall.
The wall is lower in
some places than in others and the aim is
to raise the structure to a uniform height
along its entire length to prevent water
coming over the top. This will help to protect
the properties from a flood on a similar
scale to that experienced in July 2009.
