David Rooke, Deputy Chief Executive at the Environment Agency has said the UK now needs a complete rethink on flooding and suggested that the use of historical data to predict flood risk was no longer enough in the face of climate change.
Commenting on national TV, David Rooke said the UK was moving from a period of “known extremes” of weather to one of “unknown extremes”. The UK now needed a complete rethink on flooding and would need to move from not just providing better defences but also look at increasing resilience, he said.
The Environment Agency is warning people across the north of England to remain vigilant as river levels continue to rise.
Villages and towns across the region have been hit by flooding - with York seriously impacted following prolonged and heavy rainfall on Christmas night and throughout Boxing Day.
Yesterday the Agency took the decision to raise the £3 million-plus Foss flood barrier protecting the city after water entered the Foss Barrier building,threatening electrical systems and water pumps. The risk of pump failures due to electrical problems meant that if the barrier became stuck in the ‘down’ position, it would then have been unable to discharge water into the River Ouse.
Many places have seen record river levels over the past 24 hours, including the River Aire in Leeds, and the rivers Calder and Ribble, affecting places such as Whalley, Hebden Bridge and Ribchester.
Areas at risk include communities in Lancashire and parts of the River Severn in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Worcestershire.
The Environment Agency has been working with the Army to deploy temporary flood defences and sandbags to communities at risk including Warwick Bridge, Braithwaite and Appleby in Cumbria. More than 500 troops are now on the ground with a further 1000 on standby.
There are currently 9 severe flood warnings, meaning a risk to life, in force in England and Wales, with a further 58 flood warnings where flooding is expected and immediate action required, together with 70 flood alerts where flooding is possible. A total of 126 warnings have been removed in the last 24 hours.
The Met Office confirmed on Christmas Eve that this will be the wettest December on record for Cumbria since records began in 1910. Since the 1 December many areas in Cumbria have experienced more than two and a half times their expected monthly rainfall.
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