Francesca Glyn-Jones - 24-Jul-2007
- Staff from the Environment Agency will be
talking to residents in Pickering next week
that were affected by the recent flooding.
The team, based in York, is holding the meeting
at Pickering Memorial Hall from 2pm to 8pm
on July 31. The aim is to give residents an
opportunity to learn more about the flooding,
and for officers to gather information about
how the flooding affected specific areas.
The meeting is one of a series of drop-ins
which is being organised by the Environment
Agency across the region.
Area flood risk manager Thomasin Turner said:
“The more that we know about how the flooding
affected different homes and streets then
the more we can do to find ways of protecting
people.
“We are urging people to come along with
photographs, and any other documentation which
we can use to plot the path and the times
of the flooding more specifically. We will
add the data to our own records and return
to Pickering later in the year to update residents
on the results of our review.”
Her team expects to hold four more drop-in
sessions across North Yorkshire and will be
letting people know when and where these will
be held in the next few weeks.
Intense rain fell on the Pickering catchment
between June 25-26 when more than 40 millimetres
fell in a 12 hour period, and 48 millimetres
fell over the 24 hours.
The Environment Agency is responsible for
flood protection from main rivers and designated
smaller watercourses.
It also issues flood warnings and watches
to people in certain flood risk areas who
have signed up to receive the service.
The Environment Agency has gauges on many
main rivers across Yorkshire which helps officers
to monitor water levels and the likelihood
of flooding.
To find out whether you are eligible for
a flood warning contact our Floodline number
on 0845 988 1188.
+ More
Environment Agency operates the Maidenhead,
Eton and Windsor Flood Alleviation scheme
Dave Ferguson - 21-Jul-2007 - In response
to recent rainfall and increasing river flows
on the River Thames the Environment Agency
has operated the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton
Flood Alleviation Scheme, which includes the
Jubilee River.
There are currently 20 flood warnings and
28 flood watches across the Thames region.
In order to reduce the risk of flooding to
the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton areas, the
Environment Agency has allowed approximately
20 cubic metres per second (cumecs) of water
down the Jubilee River.
Operations delivery team leader David Van
Beesten said; “The rainfall yesterday and
today saw flows on the River Thames increase
to 170 cumecs and it was necessary to operate
the Jubilee River. Repair work took place
on the Jubilee River in summer 2004 and the
scheme is ready to protect properties and
businesses in Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead
from flooding, as it did in January 2003.”
Members of the public should call Floodline
on 0845 9881188 for the latest flooding information.
By selecting option one and entering the
Quickdial code 011126 they can also receive
up to date information on the operation of
the Jubilee River.
Notes:
The Jubilee River, part of the Maidenhead,
Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme,
is the largest river diversion scheme of its
kind in the country, designed to alleviate
flooding to those areas flooded in the Great
Floods of 1947, when 2,000 homes were flooded.
As tributaries feed the River Thames and
the channel narrows, the rate that the river
flows increases the further it moves downstream.
An Olympic size swimming pool has a capacity
of 2,500,000 litres, meaning that a flow of
145,000 litres per second (equivalent to 145
cumecs – the current maximum operating capacity
of the Jubilee River) would fill an Olympic
pool three and a half times over in just one
minute.
For advice on protecting your home from flooding
please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk
or call Floodline on 0845 988 1188.
