People urged to take care in Storm Ciarán
Rolling updates on flooding impacts from Storm Ciarán in England
The Environment Agency continues to monitor and respond to the impacts of Storm Ciaran and is advising the public to remain cautious.
The threat of flooding remains – as of 2:30pm on Saturday 4 November, there are 41 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 158 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, in place across England.
Minor river and surface water flooding is possible today across the South and parts of the North East of England. Minor groundwater flooding impacts are also possible in parts of Dorset and Wiltshire. River flooding may persist into Sunday.
Defences including at Bewdley on the River Severn have been deployed. Other assets are operational.
Approximately 13,000 properties have been protected from the storm. Sadly, the total number of properties reported to have been flooded stands at around 260.
The Environment Agency has readied further assets to deploy if needed, including temporary and demountable flood barriers and high-volume pumps.
Chris Wilding, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said:
Rain from Storm Ciaran means that water levels in rivers across parts of England remain high. Further significant surface water and river flooding impacts are possible but not expected in parts of the South East of England today due to heavy showers.
Minor river and surface water flooding are also possible more widely across the South and parts of the North East of England. River flooding may persist into tomorrow (Sunday) in places.
Environment Agency teams remain out on the ground operating assets, working with partners and present in those communities that have experienced flooding, looking to minimise the impact on residents.
We urge people to stay safe on the coast and to remember to take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades. Flooding of low-lying coastal roads is also possible and people must avoid driving through flood water, as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding and follow @EnvAgency on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest flood updates.
Following discussions with Unison, EA staff will no longer take part in the four days of industrial action initially planned to begin on Friday 3 November at 0700.
The Environment Agency’s response to the flooding caused by Storm Babet saw an estimated 97,000 properties protected. Twenty high volume pumps and five small volume pumps were deployed across several sites. During the storm, the Environment Agency’s flood warning service sent out more than 300,000 messages by email, telephone and text.
Tragically, a number of deaths have been widely reported and, sadly, the total number of properties reported to have been flooded during Storm Babet currently stands at approximately 2,150. We will work to understand if more could be done to better protect these properties in future.
The Environment Agency worked round the clock with its partners to help reduce the risk. Teams operated flood defences, flood storage reservoirs and put up temporary barriers where needed to help protect communities.
The Government has also announced that support will be available to areas in England that have experienced exceptional localised flooding through the activation of the Flood Recovery Framework scheme.
The public should sign up to flood warnings and check the latest safety advice as tidal flooding is possible and heavy downpours are likely to fall on saturated ground.
Last updated 4 November 2023 + show all updates
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This update reflects the most recent situation regarding Storm Ciarán as of 14:30 on Saturday 04 November.
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This update reflects the most recent situation regarding Storm Ciarán as of 13:15 on Friday November.
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This update reflects the most recent situation regarding Storm Ciarán as of 13:00 on Thursday 2 November.
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This update reflects the most recent situation regarding Storm Ciarán as of 13:15 on Wednesday 1 November.
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First published.