A woman from Pannal has spoken of her flooding ordeal last night when Storm Bella wreaked havoc.
Suzanne Walker, who lives alone in a basement apartment on Leeds Road, had to call North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service when water levels rose to her bedroom window.
It was the second time in three months she has had to call the fire service to pump water away from her rear window and a meter cupboard.
Fortunately there was no major damage but the proximity of the water to an electric switchboard, along with the fact that this has happened before, has left her extremely anxious.
Ms Walker, who is a director of the apartment block management company, Fieldhurst Management Company, dialled 999 shortly after midnight when she noticed the water level rising. She said:
“It’s extremely annoying and frustrating, not to mention stressful, watching dirty water rise to such a level that you know your bed is on the other side of the wall, not to mention electrics too.”
The fire crew arrived to pump the water away. Water had entered the external meter cupboard, which houses the meters of all seven of the apartments in the block.
Similar high water levels were seen on October 3. Photograph: Suzanne Walker.
Since the first flooding incident after heavy rain on October 3, Ms Walker has contacted several organisations to try to find out where the water is coming from. It is thought the water is jetting out of pipes near to the apartment.
She added:
“No one is taking responsibility for the pipes or the land where the jetting company are telling me they think the issue is.
“It makes you anxious and worried every time it rains as we don’t know how high it would reach.
“I’ve lived in Pannal over 30 years and at this property for the last 10 years and I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
Read more:
- Pateley Bridge residents tell us how they had to come together during the February floods.
- Hunsingore receives a red alert for flooding today.
Ms Walker said she intends to contact Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well as councillors at North Yorkshire County Council and Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council seeking help.
Flood warnings remain in place on the River Nidd and River Ure. The government’s flood information service is giving updates on its website.
