Local authorities stand down response to flooding in Northamptonshire as risk of further issues recedes

Northamptonshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF) partners have today (Friday January 5) stood down response to floods as the risk of further flooding in the county recedes.

Following heavy rainfall at the start of the week, many areas of the county were flooded. Billing Aquadrome had to be evacuated and residents have not yet been allowed back onto the site, due to standing water.

Emergency services were prepared for flooding to get worse overnight as there was heavy rainfall once again. However, the LRF says overnight weather conditions had less impact on Northamptonshire waterways than was predicted, and water levels are thought to have largely peaked across the county. This means that the county can move into the recovery phase as partners from the local authorities lead the clear up work.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander, Mick Berry said, on behalf of the LRF: “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the planning and response work over the last week, not just at Billing Aquadrome but also ensuring resilience right across Northamptonshire. This is a great example of collaborative working to keep the county’s residents safe.

“I would also like to thank the public for following the right safety messages and taking precautions to keep themselves safe as well.

“There continues to be a lot of standing water around and some localised flooding, and we know that weather conditions can change rapidly. We ask people to keep listening to forecasts and follow the safety messages that the fire service and other partners share during periods of inclement weather.”

Although the emergency response has been stood down, a flood warning for Billing Aquadrome and Cogenhoe Mill Caravan Site is still in place. The Environment Agency says residents in the area should “remain safe and aware of surroundings” and “avoid contact with flood water”.

There was a Met Office weather warning in place for rain overnight, however there are currently no weather warnings in place for today.

Keep up to date with flood warnings on the Environment Agency’s website here.