The Environment Agency is currently responding to severe flooding in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire catchments, where some rivers have exceeded their previous highest levels from 2007.
While severe flood warnings on the River Idle have now been downgraded, the risk remains high in this area especially around towns such as Retford where further rain is expected.
Tragically, a number of deaths have been widely reported and, sadly, the total number of properties reported to have been flooded stands at 1,260.
An estimated 41,000 properties have been protected and as part of the EA’s response, twenty high volume pumps and five small volume pumps have been deployed across several sites. The Environment Agency is working round the clock with its partners to help reduce the risk. Teams are operating flood defences, flood storage reservoirs and putting up temporary barriers where needed to help protect communities.
As of Monday 23 October there are 105 flood warnings, meaning that flooding is expected, and 108 flood alerts, meaning that flooding is possible. The EA’s flood warning service has sent out over 300,000 messages by email, telephone and text during Storm Babet.
More flood warnings are expected to be issued across Yorkshire and the East Midlands into next week with river flooding expected to continue until the end of the week along the River Trent. Further flooding is possible from rivers and surface water on Tuesday and Wednesday for parts of the Midlands and the North East due to further heavy rain.
