Communities across the Harrogate district are on stand-by for flooding as Storm Christoph continues to bring persistent rain to the region.
With water levels set to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, home owners and organisations are watching to see whether rivers will rise enough to burst their banks and inflict damage on property.
In Boroughbridge, the Emergency Response Team (BERT) is ready to take action if the River Ouse rises above the predicted peak. Group leader Pauline Phillips told the Stray Ferret:
“At the moment, it’s just a watching brief. We can look at the telemetry online, which is very helpful, and I go down to the river and check the level as well.
“It’s looking like it will peak tomorrow morning at about 14.5m. We know if it gets to 15m it starts to come onto the road.”
The volunteers at BERT are standing ready to act if needed, and awaiting any warnings from Harrogate Borough Council’s emergency planners. Anyone in need of help can visit the Boroughbridge Town Council website.
Sandbags deployed
North Yorkshire County Council has deployed more than 15,000 sandbags – double the usual amount – and its highways team has been clearing drains and gullies.
Cones, barriers and signage for road closures have been distributed across the region and are ready to be used when necessary.
Highways staff are monitoring key routes, including Kex Gill and Blubberhouses.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson urged motorists not to take chances driving through flood water, adding:
“Just 60cm of standing water and 30cm of flowing water can be enough to float/move your vehicle. So please don’t take the risk!”
A yellow weather warning is in place across the Harrogate district, lasting until Thursday lunchtime. An amber warning for heavy rain which could result in damage to property or even danger to life applies to the southern and western edges of the district, including parts of Nidderdale.
On stand-by
The community in Pateley Bridge, which was hit by flooding last February, will also be watching levels on the River Nidd over the coming hours. The Environment Agency issued a flood warning and a flood alert for the river this afternoon.
Town councillor Ian Skaife, who leads the Community Resilience Committee, said this afternoon he did not expect there to be any major problems — but he will be watching the weather and river levels overnight.
“There’s plenty of capacity in the river at the moment. The unknown factor is what rain is coming down further up the dale. With the snow melt from the weekend, all three reservoirs will be full to capacity.”
Cllr Skaife said the amount of rainfall today should not be enough to overwhelm the rivers, but he and fellow members of the resilience committee will remain on stand-by in case they are needed as the storm continues.
Meanwhile, residents in Knaresborough will also be waiting anxiously to see whether the heavy rain causes the lower River Nidd to rise. Those living on the caravan park at Archers Meadows, just off York Road, are watching again as waters rise, after repeated flooding on the site over recent years – including water getting into several homes on Boxing Day in 2015.
Flood prevention measures have been introduced in the area, but residents have questioned their effectiveness as the water continues to rise rapidly in heavy rainfall.
Read more:
- Flood alerts issued as heavy rain forecast for Harrogate district
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