Helen Pidd has the latest from Calder Valley
2,000 properties "badly affected" by flooding in the Calder Valley, Calderdale Cllr Rob Holden says. Mytholmroyd "easily" the worst.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) December 27, 2015
Afternoon summary
The floods have hit three cities and scores of towns and villages, in what the prime minister David Cameron described as an “unprecedented” situation.
- 300 troops are already on the ground to help in the worst-hit areas and the Ministry of Defence say a further 200 soldiers are on the way.
- In York, 3,500 homes were at risk near the river Ouse and river Foss with hundreds of people being evacuated, as water levels in the city continued to rise. The Environment Agency said it was forced to lift a flood barrier allowing water to flow into the Ouse and flood part of the city, after a pumping station was “overwhelmed by water”.
- In Leeds, main roads in the city centre were underwater in what local MP Hilary Benn said were the worst floods the city had seen.
- In Greater Manchester, 7,000 homes were still without power after rivers burst their banks.
- More than 200 flood alerts and warnings were in place for England, Wales and Scotland on Sunday afternoon including more than 20 severe warnings, indicating danger to life.
- Among the worst-hit areas were Pennine towns between Leeds and Manchester which saw rivers hit record levels – up to 5ft over their previous peak in some places.
- Environment secretary Liz Truss admitted flood defences had been overwhelmed and would be “reviewed”.
- Kerry McCarthy, the shadow environment secretary, said the “government must drop its complacency over the need for climate change adaptation” as well as “invest in maintaining flood defences, rather than cutting them as they had planned.”
- Accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) predicts that the cost of the latest floods and those that hit Cumbria earlier this month could be as much as £15bn.
- Forecasters say another band of heavy rain is likely to sweep in from the west on Wednesday and is likely to hit southern Scotland and parts of northern England.
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Labour’s former environment secretary Hilary Benn, an MP in Leeds, said it was the worst flooding the city had seen and called for more investment in flood defences to tackle the impact of climate change.
“The need for improved flood defence is increasing really, really fast because the climate is changing.”
He said the debate about climate change was over because there was “no doubt” the world’s climate is now different, adding that countries needed to prioritise reducing emissions by honouring promises made at this month’s climate change negotiations in Paris.
He added: “The second thing is we’ve got to adapt to the changing climate, and improving our flood defences is one of the urgent ways we need to do that.”
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Kerry McCarthy, the shadow environment secretary, said the priority now was to protect people’s homes and businesses, but added that the government needed to address flooding as a climate change issue.
It is increasingly clear that so-called ‘unprecedented’ weather events are here to stay. The government must drop its complacency over the need for climate change adaptation. It must also invest in maintaining flood defences, rather than cutting them as they had planned, as well as look urgently at what else can be done to reduce flood risk in future.
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My colleague Ben Quinn has more on the situation in York.
Homes in York were evacuated after a flooding barrier protecting the city was lifted to allow high levels of water to be released.
The decision to lift the barrier in order to bring down water levels in River Foss was taken on Saturday night after a pumping station itself was “overwhelmed” by water, according to the Environment Agency.
Experts were still working on Sunday to re-activate the pumps at the Foss Barrier building after water came in to its electrics.
“When the Foss is high the barrier will be lifted to let water levels flow into the River Ouse, and that’s what happened in this case,” said a spokesperson.”The pump station was overwhelmed by water and the barrier had to be lifted to allow the high water in the Foss to come through.”
Warnings were given to residents - with some reports suggesting that thousands of home were affected - to move valuables upstairs and make preparations to evacuate the area.
The Environment Agency spokesperson added that it “too early” to determine what the impact of the decision to raise the barrier would be.”At the moment the priority is to get the pump station up and running again as soon as possible.”
Water levels would have been “much higher” if the barrier had not been raised, she added.
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Thousands of people remain without power in flood-affected areas.
Engineers have restored services to a further 1,062 customers in Lancashire and Greater Manchester after the flooding, but almost 6,500 homes currently remain without electricity.
Some properties are expected to remain without power until Monday, Electricity North West said, and customers in Rochdale are being asked to turn off Christmas lights and ration the use of appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers to conserve electricity.
Power has been restored to 15,765 properties in Rochdale, and around 4,500 remain without electricity after a substation there was flooded – five years after flood defences there received a £470,000 upgrade to protect against a “one-in-200-years” flood.
Mark Williamson, operations director for Electricity North West, said: “Our engineers are continuing to work hard and have restored power to a further 1,000 customers today in Lancashire and Greater Manchester and we are working to get the remaining 6,462 customers back on as soon as possible.
“We are still asking our customers in Rochdale to reduce their energy use to prevent further power outages while our engineers repair the damage. Simple things like turning off your Christmas lights or not using your washing machine or dishwasher for a while would make a huge difference.
“We are doing everything we possibly can to access our substations, assess the damage caused by severe flooding and restore supplies.”
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Environment Agency lifted York flood defences
In York the Environment Agency said it was forced to lift a barrier that was in place to protect the city centre overnight after water entered one of the flood control centres.
The flood poured into the Foss Barrier building in one part of the city, putting it in danger of failing.
If the barrier had became stuck in the ‘down’ position, it would not have been able to discharge water into the river Ouse.
So the agency made the decision to lift it, warning residents in the city centre to move valuables to upper floors and prepare to leave their homes.
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My colleague Helen Pidd has spent the morning in flood-hit Todmorden.
Flooded residents of one West Yorkshire town spent Boxing Day night sleeping in the Lord Mayor’s parlour after being evacuated from their homes.
The town hall in Todmorden has been open non-stop since the flood waters rose to record levels on Saturday morning. Free legal advice, mops, rubber gloves, cups of tea and bacon butties are available for those in need. “We’ve been absolutely rammed. Babies, dogs, a woman with an oxygen tank,” said Steph Booth, the mayor of Todmorden. “Two people slept in the Lord Mayor’s parlour. They thought it was rather grand.”
Booth, who happens to be Cherie Blair’s stepmother, estimated that “a few hundred” homes and businesses had been flooded out in Todmorden, many for the third or fourth time. “It’s the worst one we’ve ever had because of how far the flood waters have gone” she said. “I was speaking to one 86-year-old lady who has lived her all her life in the same house and has never been flooded until now.”
Paul Gibbons was grimly hosing away sewage from his factory near the Rochdale Canal on Sunday morning. Asked how it was going, he answered: “Do you want to see me hang myself? Or do you just want to shoot me now?” His firm, NR Components, makes caravan awnings. The factory floor was still a few inches under water, with at least 30 sewing machines worth £6,000 each completely ruined. “They’re goosed. Totally goosed,” he said.
Gibbons, 67, has been unable to get insurance since the last floods, 2012, which resulted in a claim with upwards of half a million pounds, he said,adding: “To be fair, I wouldn’t insure me either.”
His son, Sam, suggested the many millions spent on improving Todmorden’s flood defences would be better used as a reconstruction fund. “They clearly don’t work so they might as well just dish out the cash to us all every time,” he said.
Nearby, volunteers at the Hippodrome theatre were clearing up after their fourth major flood since 2000. Late morning on Sunday the dressing rooms were still four-feet underwater, though they had managed to save most props, costumes and lighting rigs by piling them up on the stage in a dawn operation on Boxing Day. The theatre is insured, though chair David Winslow wondered for how much longer. “In 2000 our claim was £200,000. In 2012 and 2013 it was about £70,000. Now this,” he said.
Up on Commercial Street, residents were mopping out their terraced houses for the third time in four years, the smell of raw sewage starting to linger in the air. Adele Leah, a mental health nurse, was incensed that her insurance firm, Halifax, was not open for business until Tuesday.
“It’s disgusting. I rang them and was told by a third party answering their emergency line that they can’t deal with our claim until Tuesday. They should hang their heads in shame,” she said, explaining that the delay meant that she theoretically wasn’t able to throw out all of her flood-damaged property: which includes everything on the ground floor of her house. Claimants are supposed to keep everything in situ until the loss adjuster arrives.
Leah bought her house in 2010, knowing it was at risk of flooding - “You take the risk, don’t you?” Yet she insists she doesn’t regret the move, even now, after her second major flood. “You know, even with everything that’s gone on, I don’t regret it because the community spirit is amazing. It’s like stepping back 20 or 30 years when people knocked on each others’ doors. We’re in and out of each others’ houses .Money can’t buy that,” she said, as young lads carried ruined suites out onto the street and hosed down the pavement.
Not everyone in Todmorden was feeling so optimistic. Inside the Buttylicious sandwich bar, Pat Brierley had decided enough was enough. “I can’t go through this again,” she said, recalling her first flood, in 2012, which ruined the shop within a few days of it opening. But the latest flood was worse, upturning fridges and freezers, smashing through the display case and ripping up the floor tiles. She could not get insurance and so would have to pay to put everything right. “I can’t face it,” she said. “The lease is up at the end of January so I’m off then. I doubt I’ll get the bond back.”
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John Gummer, a former environment secretry and now Lord Deben, has called for the recent floods to be seen in the context of climate change.
Surprising no broadcaster seems to have sought to discuss advice on flooding and adaptation to climate change given to Government
— John Deben (@lorddeben) December 27, 2015
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More from John Vidal who has been looking at the cuts to the government’s flood spending over the past five years.
The government released its capital flood spending levels since 2010 just before Christmas. It took a tumble of nearly 30% after 2010/11 and has only now picked up thanks to “exceptional” funding as a result of the 2013/14 floods.
According to the figures, as supplied by Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Defra spokesman in the House of Lords, there was £364.9m spent on flood defences in 2010/11. The following year that dropped to £260.7m. By 2014/15 capital investment on flood defences had fallen to £228m supplemented by a further £125m in “exceptional funding” given as a result of floods.
Vidal said: “Defra has been cut to the bone but while saying it is now maintaining its flood defence spending, the figures clearly show it dropped the ball in 2011 and is only spending more now because it is being forced to by circumstance.”
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Clean up and new defences will cost 'tens of millions'
The Guardian’s environment editor John Vidal has been speaking to Innes Thomson, a former flood chief at the Environment Agency, who now heads the Association of Drainage Authorities, the 250 or more public bodies whose job it is to manage water levels and keep water flowing.
He was driving north to Yorkshire to help with the relief effort and said what was happening was overwhelming defences.
What we are seeing is a whole set of circumstances leading to 100 per cent saturation of the groundwater. River levels in York are now approaching the highest levels ever recorded. [But] It’s not the very worst it could be. We have river, surface and groundwater (underground) saturation but we don’t have have severe tidal or wind issues [which could make it even worse].
I do not see this as a failure. We have had perfectly reasonable policy of trying to provide flood risk protection...the question now is do we have to do more if we have climate change - and I believe we are in a period of demonstrable climate change.
Thomson called for more money to be spent on maintenance rather than on major new defence projects:
If we were to spend more just maintaining and managing water levels it would be money well spent. If we spent a slug of money now cleaning up rivers, it would help. All sort of work needs to be done. We have £22 bn of flood risk assets, but [we need to ask] have we got the right standard, are they in good condition, should we upgrade our pumps, do we need to ensure all our embanments are sound, are our water courses clear of obstacles?
I think we are talking about tens of millions of pounds. Now is an opportunity to reconsider where we spend our money. At the moment we spend money on shiny new projects . But is it sensible to spend a lot on them? We have got to be very careful we don’t have a knee-jerk reaction. We need a plan of action . We need to reassess our spending priorities.
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Grim scenes from Helen Pidd in Todmorden.
Backyards in Todmorden have become graveyards for ruined sofas, soggy Christmas presents and flooded fridges. pic.twitter.com/YLlJyBb2ae
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) December 27, 2015
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Here is the Press Association story following Cameron’s statement.
The Prime Minister has promised to send more troops to “do whatever is needed” to help people in large swathes of northern England stricken by floods.
Thousands of people are being evacuated after “unprecedented” levels of rain have caused rivers to burst their banks and left homes under water in York, Leeds and Manchester.
Cameron chaired a conference call of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee as ministers worked to tackle the problem.
Afterwards he said: “I’ve just chaired a Cobra meeting on the unprecedented flooding. Huge thanks to the emergency services and military for doing so much.
“Also my sympathy for those affected at this time of year. More troops are being deployed as part of a plan to do whatever is needed.”
He told the BBC: “What has happened - the level of the rivers, plus the level of rainfall has created an unprecedented effect and so some very serious flooding. The Cobra call has been important because we’ve decided to deploy more military resources, more military personnel, to help.
“But let me say the emergency services have done a fantastic job and continue to do so, and they deserve the whole nation’s thanks. But of course, at this time of year, we all feel huge sympathy for those who have been flooded and have had to leave their homes.”
Details of further help from the military will become clear later today, Cameron said.
“As some areas of the country move from the emergency into the recovery phase, we’ll also make sure that the help we have given to Cumbria will be available to other parts of the country.”
He said that with the prevalence of such extreme weather events on the rise, investment in flood defences would continue.
“Whenever these things happen, you should look at what you’ve spent, look at what you’ve built, look at what you’re planning to spend, look at what you’re planning to build, and ask whether it’s in the right places, whether it’s enough, whether we’re doing everything we can to try and help.
“The flood barriers have made a difference - both the permanent ones and the temporary ones - but it’s clear in some cases they’ve been over-topped, they’ve been overrun, and so of course we should look again at whether there’s more we should do.”
The Government has vowed to review flood defences as the Army was mobilised this morning to help emergency services carry out mass evacuations.
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Cameron said these were “unprecedented weather events”, adding there would be a review of the government’s flood prevention measures in the weeks and months ahead.
And he suggested that there could be more extreme weather events in the future.
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Speaking from his constituency home, Cameron described the situation as “incredibly serious”.
He said there would be more military personnel deployed and praised the emergency services.
“We will do everything we can to help people in their hour of need.”
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Prime minister pledges more troops to lead flooding response
This from David Cameron after the latest Cobra meeting:
1/2 I've just chaired a COBRA meeting on the unprecedented flooding. Huge thanks to the emergency services and military for doing so much.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 27, 2015
2/2 Also my sympathy for those affected at this time of year. More troops are being deployed as part of a plan to do whatever is needed.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 27, 2015
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One of the major differences today is that the floods are not just hitting remote rural areas. Three of the UK’s major cities – Manchester, Leeds and York – have seen unprecedented flooding.
This means the flooding is not just a tragedy for those who have lost their homes and businesses it will also have a dramatic economic impact.
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Risk of flooding remains for thousands across the UK
The latest from the Environment Agency shows that the risk of serious flooding remains for thousands of people across the north of England
There are currently 24 Severe Flood Warnings, 140 Flood Warnings and 78 Flood Alerts in England. https://t.co/3SYrWjZpWT
— Environment Agency (@EnvAgency) December 27, 2015
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As we wait for an update from the prime minister following the latest Cobra meeting it is worth reflecting that the government ignored warnings earlier this year from the Committee on Climate Change which warned that the flood defences were inadequate.
Helen Pidd is trying to get to Hebden Bridge further down the Calder Valley from Sowerby Bridge. This video suggests it may be a tricky journey
My colleague Helen Pidd has arrived in Todmorden
Flood advice & hot food at Todmorden town hall.The mayor, Steph Booth (Cherie Blair's stepmum), says 100s affected pic.twitter.com/zmHA0v8Nlh
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) December 27, 2015
The Environment Agency has issued a new flood warning for Mickletown on the river Aire in West Yorkshire.
A Flood Warning has been issued for the River Aire at Mickletown. https://t.co/nZS69bmnBP #floodaware pic.twitter.com/2rhJzLeNuG
— Env Agency Yorks&NE (@EnvAgencyYNE) December 27, 2015
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As the emergency services and army struggle to deal with the impact of the floods it is worth revisiting this piece by my colleague George Monbiot published after devastating floods hit Cumbria earlier this month. It links the increasingly regular floods with climate change and calls for a complete rethink of the government’s environmental policies.
More than 7,500 without power in Manchester and Lancashire
Electricity North West said more than 7,500 of its customers remain without power in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
A total of 5,500 homes and businesses in Rochdale are waiting to be reconnected, along with 1,000 in Radcliffe, nearly 700 in Bury and more than 480 in the Lancashire village of Croston.
The company said its engineers had managed to restore power to 18,000 customers since the severe flooding hit but warned that some properties may be without power until Monday.
Mark Williamson, operations director for Electricity North West, said: “Our engineers have worked through the night and will continue to work today in extremely difficult conditions to restore power to the remaining 7,500 customers in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
“There are still a number of substations that are flooded and we can’t get access, but as soon as the water recedes then we have teams ready to go in and check the damage and make repairs.
“We’re continuing to monitor key substations across the region and we would like to thank our customers for their support and reassure them that we are doing everything we possibly can to repair the damage and get the power back on.”
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A video from Leeds this morning shows the extent of the flooding there.
Unbelievable scenes down here on #Kirkstall Rd in #Leeds - it's like something from an apocalypse film. Awful. pic.twitter.com/x8qr490pmz
— Lauren Potts (@laurenpotts) December 27, 2015
My colleage Helen Pidd has this summary of the flooding in Calder Valley, one of the worst-hit places:
Flooding in the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire is “the worst in living memory”, according to one local councillor coordinating the relief effort.
The communities of Todmorden, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge, Copley and Brighouse along the river Calder have been badly affected, with some properties flooded out for the third time in four years following heavy rains in 2012 and 2013.
River levels at Mytholmroyd on Boxing Day were three metres above normal, with waters rising so quickly on Boxing Day that many residents had to be rescued from their homes and cars.
Also in Mytholmroyd, a teenage boy was rescued from a first-floor window after flood waters rose to ceiling height in the downstairs rooms.
For several hours on Saturday the emergency services were unable to reach the town, prompting able-bodied local residents to wade through water themselves and carry vulnerable neighbours to safety.
The writer Benjamin Mayers tweeted: “Just spent an hour chest deep in icy flood water in Mytholmroyd, evacuating OAPs from their flats. No authorities here. Terrible scenes.”
Just spent an hour chest deep in icy flood water in Mytholmroyd, evacuating OAPs from their flats. No authorities here. Terrible scenes.
— Benjamin Myers (@BenMyers1) December 26, 2015
Across the Calder Valley, many homeowners are facing the prospect of clearing up yet again – this time with no insurance money, having been denied cover following deluges in 2012 and 2013.
Kathleen Simpson said: “I live in Todmorden and have just been flooded for the third time, I have no insurance as my insurers cancelled the policy after I had to take them to the ombudsman. The UK gives funding overseas for flood defence – I believe it is very important for those like myself who have no ins policy to be heard as through no fault of their own they are denied insurance. What are the uninsured meant to do?”
Millions of pounds have been spent on flood defences to protect the Calder Valley towns but they were no match for Storm Eva.
In both Lancashire and Yorkshire, emergency services and armed forces personnel from 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (2LANCS) were deployed to evacuate vulnerable communities. Mountain rescue and the coast guard were also drafted in to help the relief effort.
“We were very lucky to have them,” said Rob Holden, a Conservative councillor helping to coordinate the clean-up effort. “We have had bad flooding in the past but this is the worst. The river levels in Mytholmroyd were that high that the gauge stopped reporting. If you look at the graph on the Environment Agency website you’ll see that it just stops at a certain point.”
This drone footage filmed by Phil Fearney showed the extent of the flooding across Hebden Bridge and the surrounding area.
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Flood defences were 'overwhelmed', environment secretary admits
Environment secretary Liz Truss has been touring the TV studios saying that levels of rain have been “unprecedented” and pledging that flood defences will be reviewed.
Truss said it was “right to say” that flood defences had been “overwhelmed”.
“Every single river was at a record high,” she said, adding that in Yorkshire some rivers are a metre higher than they have ever been before.
“And clearly in the light of that we will be reviewing our flood defences,” she said.
Asked about how much money was being allocated, Truss said the priority was protecting lives and homes.
But there will also be calls for a more fundamental review of the government’s environmental policies.
“Of course, you’ve asked about funding and we’re looking at schemes similar to what we put in place in Cumbria to make sure families and businesses are supported,” said Truss.
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And this is the view of the main road through Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
Serious flooding in Hebden Bridge. #flooding #hebdenbridge #climatechange pic.twitter.com/3l6aT2z5C2
— ASM (@Artfor) December 26, 2015
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This is the scene from Leeds this morning on one of the city’s major roads.
Ah Kirkstall - the Venice of the North... #Leeds #Kirkstall #floods #flooding pic.twitter.com/wqEplJKbZM
— Loud Ribs (@loudribs) December 27, 2015
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The scale of the devastation in some Pennine towns is becoming clear this morning. Record levels were also reached in the river Calder catchment area as the rain swept eastwards through Lancashire and submerged towns like Hebden Bridge and produced record water levels in Leeds.
Aside from the damage to homes and businesses, tens of thousands of people have been left without power, some since Saturday afternoon, and Electricity North West warned it could be sometime until people were reconnected.
Updated
Army begins evacuation of residents in York
A bit more detail from York where water levels on the river Ouse are still rising in the city, and the army and emergency services are trying get around 400 people out of their homes to safety.
York city council said the Ouse was expected to peak at more than 5m – close to to its highest recorded level of 5.40m.
Officials said pumps at the Foss Barrier – where the river Foss joins the Ouse – had been overwhelmed and flood barriers had to be lifted, meaning areas in York that would usually be protected were now vulnerable to flooding.
The town is no stranger to flooding but, in a sign of how severe the deluge has been this time, North Yorkshire police tweeted earlier that they had run out of road signs warning people about flooding.
Several calls from people that have driven into floodwater, we have runout of ROAD CLOSED signs, don't enter floodwater, avoid flooded roads
— NorthYorkshirePolice (@NYorksPolice) December 27, 2015
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Hundreds more people are being evacuated from their homes this morning as flooding continues to cause misery in towns and cities across the north of England.
Prime minister David Cameron will chair a conference call of the government’s emergency Cobra committee as the crisis deepens, with police advising between 300 and 400 people to leave their homes in York where there are six severe flood warnings.
The devastating swept across a large swath of northern England on Boxing Day leaving homes in the north-west, the Pennines and Yorkshire overwhelmed by flood water.
Dozens of severe flood warnings were still in place in Yorkshire and the north-west this morning but no further rain warnings were issued.
The Met Office said the worst-hit areas would see very little rain today – 1-2mm at most in the late afternoon.
The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 31 severe flood warnings, signalling a risk to life, although many of the rivers involved were predicted to have reached peak levels.
Overnight the river Aire, in Leeds, was predicted by the EA to have reached “record levels”, with nine severe flood warnings in place.
Residents in York city centre, Huntington, Tang Hall, Osbaldwick and Foss Island were advised to start moving valuables to upper floors and to prepare to be evacuated.
Cameron is due to chair an emergency conference call later on Sunday.
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