In Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, more than 263,000 properties are at risk of flooding. Communities are warned not to be complacent despite dry weather.
The dry conditions of recent months mean that the ground is hard and compacted, increasing the risk of localised surface water flooding.
Members of the public can:
- check their long-term flood risk
- Get flood warnings by text, phone or email - GOV.UK by phone, text or email
- take steps to protect themselves from future flooding , including preparing a flood kit.
Work led by Environment Agency and its partners in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire to manage flood risk includes:
major refurbishment of Boston's Grand Sluice
- natural flood management (NFM) solutions, which are often used in rural areas
- roll-out of property flood resilience (PFR) measures.
Grand Sluice Boston refurbishment work.
NFM uses natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding. These processes protect, restore, and mimic the natural functions of catchments, floodplains and the coast to slow and store water. Recent examples include flood storage wetland in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, specialist ponds in Swaton, Lincolnshire and floodplain reconnection in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
PFR is a set of modifications added to a building to lower its flood risk. It can reduce flood damage and speed up recovery after a flood. The Environment Agency is supporting roll-out of PFR at Harpers Court in Brigstock which is home to a community of vulnerable residents.
Morgan Wray, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said:
We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why protecting people and communities is our top priority.
We are working to reduce flood risk through Natural Flood Management and schemes like the Boston Barrier and the refurbishment of Boston's Grand Sluice.
We urge members of the public to check their flood risk, get flood warnings by text, phone or email - GOV.UK protect themselves from future flooding.
PFR case studies
In Northamptonshire the Environment Agency works closely with the Resilience And Innovation Northants (RAIN) project, which is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme. The project looks to improve flood resilience at property, community and catchment-scales with both the Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook catchments.
Work has included installing flood barriers, self-closing airbricks in the Harpers Court in Brigstock. A further 120 residential properties across Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook are also set to have PFR installed, and it is hoped that the majority of the works will be completed by Christmas.
NFM case studies
In Lincolnshire, the Environment Agency provided advice and support to a landscape recovery pilot project being delivered by Nattergal at their site near Grantham. This summer they have fully re-connected a section of the River West Glen with its floodplain, making more space for water.
This is the first in a number of planned phases of river restoration, all of which should help reduce flood risk for the small village of Lower Bitchfield.
