A severe flood warning – meaning there is a risk to life – has been issued at Yarwell Mill and the surrounding area, as the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) continue to work together to respond to the widespread flooding across Northamptonshire.
The warning was issued just after 11.45am this morning (November 28), following a rise in water levels and Environment Agency advice that these levels have yet to peak. For more information about the warning, please visit: check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk
The Yarwell Mill site on the outskirts of Peterborough is home to nearly 300 people and over the past few days, all have been advised to evacuate. Many of the roads around the site are submerged and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has launched boats at the park.
NFRS has been on site at Yarwell Mill since around 2.30am on Tuesday morning (November 27).
Crews have been on site since then liaising with Site Management, Emergency Planning, Northamptonshire Search and Rescue, the Environment Agency and Northamptonshire Police to help residents and encourage them to evacuate safely.
The NFRS Water Rescue Team has been patrolling the site since Tuesday offering assistance to residents and monitoring the situation.
The Service remains on site and with the help of partner agencies, will use their boats to assist with the rescue of people if required.
North Northamptonshire Council has been in regular contact with the site’s management company since the weekend and have also been working to safeguard the most vulnerable people at the site.
The Council has set up a rest centre at Oundle Library and they stand ready to support all of the residents who have been evacuated.
The LRF – involving Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council and the Environment Agency – continue to treat the flooding as a major incident, and a multi-agency response that works toward recovery continues at pace.
In West Northamptonshire, the Billing Aquadrome site is still inaccessible due to flooding and those displaced from the site should not return until they are advised to do so by the site management company.
Superintendent Steve Freeman, who is heading the response to the flooding through the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) said: “We have been working hard over the past few days to deliver a robust, multi-agency response to this situation and I would like to thank the local community for their patience.
“Since this was declared a major incident on Monday (November 25), we have been advising residents at Yarwell Mill to evacuate. A severe flood warning has now been issued at the site and to prioritise everyone’s safety, I would strongly advise that everyone there evacuates until it is safe to return. So if you haven’t already left, you need to do so now. There is a serious risk to life by staying as the water levels there continue to rise.
“We will continue working hard, as a partnership, to respond to this ever-changing situation and anyone with any concerns is encouraged to contact the relevant LRF agency who will be happy to help.”
People are still being asked to follow safety advice including checking travel information before setting off, driving appropriately for the road conditions, and being prepared to meet standing water, with motorists warned against entering it or trying to drive through it.
Please do not attempt to drive through road closures or wade through deep flood water. This not only puts your safety at risk but could also put the people rescuing you at risk, as well as resulting in some very costly repairs to your vehicle.
Our communities are asked to remain alert, be prepared and sign up to receive free flood warnings by calling 0345 988 1188 or visiting www.gov.uk/flood
Flood reports can be submitted at: –
West Northants: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/report-flood
North Northants: www.northnorthants.gov.uk/flooding
You can report other highways issues to Street Doctor services:
West Northants area: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/roads-and-paths-maintenance/report-potholes-or-highway-problem or
North Northants area: www.northnorthants.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/report-potholes-or-highway-problem
Useful information:
Follow the Met Office for up-to-date weather reports and warnings where you https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/
Sign up for flood warnings at www.environment-agency.gov.uk and you can find up-to-date warnings and information regarding the floods at https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/
Find out what to do after you’ve experienced flooding here: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/flood-recovery
What to do before or during a flood: https://www.gov.uk/help-during-flood In an emergency, where life is at risk, please call 999.
Fire Risk Assessment (worked example for House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)) (PDF 389KB)
