Last night’s flooding in Knaresborough was due to the sheer deluge of rain rather than the state of drains, North Yorkshire Council said today.
About 30 homes were affected by flooding last night and some people had to be found emergency accommodation. This prompted questions about whether better maintained drains would have helped.
A statement this morning issued by the council on behalf of agencies involved in last night’s emergency response said 32 millimetres of rain fell in an hour, which is the equivalent of about an inch-and-a-quarter.
It said:
“The flooding related to the volume and speed or heavy rainfall and is not related to the condition of the drains.
“Yorkshire Water is investigating concerns regarding sewage around St Margaret’s Gardens.”
Speaking on behalf of the agencies involved, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Dave Dixon said as part of the statement:
“In the space of two hours from around 6pm last night an extreme localised weather event saw the equivalent of 32 millimetres of rain per hour fall in Knaresborough. The speed and volume of heavy rain led to flooding in some properties and overwhelmed local drainage systems for a period of time.
“Knaresborough Town Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service led the response on the ground ensuring people were safe. The town council has a robust emergency response plan and this was put in place ensuring people were safe and where appropriate electricity supplies were turned off.”
It added:
“Two vulnerable households were evacuated to temporary accommodation, some other people chose to leave themselves but most chose to stay because the water had not entered their property or they preferred to go upstairs to safe space.
“Four fire appliances attended the scene, along with North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council staff.
“I would like to thank all those involved in last night’s response and to reassure local residents that the agencies involved will also be on the scene this morning to follow up on damage and any assistance anyone may need.”
High Bridge drains concern
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council and is also a town councillor, has been part of the emergency response.
Cllr Walker told the Stray Ferret 25 homes on Orchard Close and six properties in the St Margaret’s area were flooded.
He said most residents chose to stay at home or stay with relatives or friends but a family of three were found accommodation at the Knaresborough Inn and one older male was found council accommodation.
Cllr Walker said the town council was undertaking welfare checks on Orchard Close today and was finding out what other support was available.
He added he thought the state of drains was a contributory factor, particularly at High Bridge, which was among the worst affected areas by flooding.
He said:
“We have raised concerns about blocked drains on the A59 going from High Bridge to Henshaws on a number of occasions and and nothing is done about it.
“It’s a district-wide frustration. The council needs to review why this has happened and it’s my view that the drains were a contributory factor.”
