The Environment Agency says that more than 22,000 properties were protected by the Environment Agency during recent flooding – however, the total number of properties reported to have been flooded stands at around 1,000.

The Agency said it will work to understand if more could be done to better protect these properties in future.

Chris Wilding, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

“The work of our dedicated Environment Agency teams has helped to protect more than 22,000 properties during the recent flooding. The total number of properties sadly reported to have flooded is around 1,000 and our thoughts are with all those who have been affected.

“The current forecast shows the overall flood risk for England over the next five days is now very low, which will bring significant relief to those communities which have been impacted.

“Our advice remains the same – people should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.”

Last week, Secretary of State Steve Reed visited Northamptonshire to receive a briefing on the Environment Agency’s response and the actions taken to protect communities locally. Floods Minister Emma Hardy also visited communities in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy commented:

“I know first hand how devastating flooding can be and my thoughts go out to those residents and businesses affected across the country.

“I met with those involved in the response on the ground, including representatives from the Environment Agency and its partners, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work they have undertaken to help protect their communities. I urge people to continue to follow their advice and that of the emergency services.

“This government is working hard to accelerate the building of flood defences and boost our emergency response through our Floods Resilience Taskforce.”