A flood warning is not just for Christmas….
Well, after all the recent ups and downs (we are talking about water levels here, not politics…!), it would be great to have a ‘jolly holly Christmas’ blog; in fact, that’s what I sat down to write. But sadly, I realise that we need to continue drawing attention to the worrying flood-risk status of many of us. Now it’s not on the front page anymore, did you realise that large parts of Britain are still flooded and there are warnings this could continue until Christmas.
The Environment Agency (EA) are the recognised experts in the sector and have the difficult task of assessing and warning about areas of concern. As w/c 2nd December 2019, there were 53 flood warnings in effect, which means flooding was expected, with immediate action required. The EA also identified 89 areas where flood alerts needed to be in place.
So as you can see, unfortunately we can’t afford to be complacent: the environment is NOT feeling festive. For example, the rivers Severn and Avon have burst their banks, meaning many homes and businesses in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire are waterlogged and residents in the Midlands and Yorkshire are still battling to clear their properties.
But there is a little bit of Christmas cheer at least! Despite several areas enduring their “wettest ever autumns”, it looks like there will be some much-needed relief from heavy rainfall for flood-hit areas in the coming days. So, fingers crossed for a Merry Christmas for these areas and for a dry and safe New Year.
And to you, too, of course! Best Wishes to you all and have a great break if you can – we’ll be here in 2020, helping homeowners, businesses and communities defend themselves from floods: see you soon…
