Flooding in England
Update on current flooding situation and how the government is responding.
EA teams out on the ground in South Yorkshire alongside army personnel.
The Environment Agency (EA), emergency responders and local authorities are helping to protect people and properties following the flooding in:
- Yorkshire
- Derbyshire
- Gloucestershire
- Nottinghamshire
- Lincolnshire
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
Teams have been continuing to pump floodwater out of affected areas and all properties in Fishlake are now free of flood water.
As of 5.30pm on Monday 25 November there are 4 flood warnings in place, meaning flooding is expected and 64 flood alerts, advising communities to be prepared as flooding is possible.
Find out about the flood alerts and warnings currently in place
Around 22,000 properties have been protected by flood defences, including nearly 7,000 properties in Yorkshire.
What you need to do
Communities are urged to continue to:
- check for flood warnings
- follow the advice of the emergency services
- avoid driving or walking through flood water
How we are responding
Environment Agency teams continue to work around the clock to protect people and properties from flooding but, as the flood risk reduces, the focus is increasingly moving to assisting the recovery of affected communities.
Teams are continuing to pump floodwater out of affected areas so those communities can get into their homes as soon as possible. Our staff are now working with local authorities to support community recovery.
Environment Agency engineers are also inspecting flood defences for sign of any damage during the flooding and repairing any damage. Specialist teams are flying aeroplanes with ‘LIDAR’ (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to scan and map the affected areas. These surveys allow staff to identify the impact on defences before carrying out manual inspections.
While the flood risk is reducing across most of the country, with so much water remaining in river catchments, rivers are expected to respond quickly to any future rainfall. There may be ongoing minor river flooding impacts this week.
Around 22,000 properties have been protected by flood defences in England, since the flooding began, including nearly 7,000 properties in Yorkshire alone. Other areas protected include:
- 5,713 properties in the West Midlands
- 1,000 properties in the East Midlands
- 2,230 properties in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
- 5,202 properties in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire
Chris Wilding, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
Heavy rainfall may lead to surface water and river flooding across parts of north-eastern, central and southern England on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is due to showers falling on already wet ground.
High tides, with large waves and spray in places, may lead to localised flooding along parts of the south coast of England on Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning, and along parts of the east coast from Wednesday to Friday.
EA teams are out on the ground checking flood defences and clearing drainage channels to help reduce flood risk over the coming days. We urge people to stay safe on the coast and to avoid driving through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
You can check your flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.
Read the latest news and advice from the EA.
Cross-government support – announcements
Households and business owners significantly affected by recent flooding will have immediate relief on their council tax and business rates, the Prime Minister announced (Friday 15 November).
The measure was announced following the first meeting of the cross-Whitehall Flood Recovery Taskforce on Friday, chaired by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to support communities as they respond to this serious emergency.
Under the measures, households and businesses which have been intensely affected by the flooding will be eligible for 100% relief on their council tax and business rates for at least the next three months.
The government has also today (19 November) announced that flood-hit homes and businesses will be able to receive up to £5,000 to help protect them from future flooding. The grants, which will be made available through local authorities from the end of November onwards, will help homes and businesses to become more resilient to flooding by helping to pay for a range of property improvements.
For more information about how the government is supporting communities and business affected by the recent severe flooding visit the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government webpage.
Sign up for flood warnings and latest flood updates
Check for flood warnings and find out if you are at risk of flooding
Follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates
Updates to this page
Published 13 November 2019Last updated 26 November 2019 + show all updates
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Updated at 5.30pm on Monday 25th November 2019
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The story has been updated with the latest information on the incident
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Updated with latest information on the incident
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We have updated areas being supported; the numbers of properties protected and the flood outlook into next week.
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Updated information with the latest Saturday (16 November) details.
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Updated information as of 15 November.
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Updated information as of 15 November.
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Updated figure for flood alerts and warnings
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Updated information as of 14 November.
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Update with latest information as of 14 November.
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Update with latest information as of Thursday 14 November.
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First published.