An RAF Chinook is dropping up to 400 tonnes of aggregate in a desperate bid to save a badly damaged reservoir at risk of bursting and flooding Whaley Bridge.
There were dramatic scenes in the Derbyshire town this morning as the military helicopter lowered large bags filled with sand, gravel and stone to shore up the partially-collapsed dam wall
Officials are in a race against time to avert a potential disaster at the Toddbrook Reservoir, which contains 1.3 million tonnes of water and sits above hundreds of homes and businesses in the High Peak district.
More than 1,000 people have been evacuated over fears their lives were in danger, and police have said the future of the dam "remains in the balance" after it was damaged following extremely heavy downpours.
But within the evacuation zone, and one evacuee compared the situation to a Hollywood disaster film.
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People who were forced to leave their homes spent the night in a high school, hotel or elsewhere amid the "unprecedented, fast-moving, emergency situation".
There were heartwarming moments as strangers in neighbouring towns offered to take in evacuees and their pets for the night.
Derbyshire Police said a "small number" of people living within the evacuation zone have refused to leave their homes, and they have been advised to get out.
Those who have followed the advice and left should not return until they are told it is safe, the force added.
Whaley Bridge resident Andrew Mclackland said he would stay put in his home as he called the evacuation "health and safety gone mad".
Mr Mclackland, 46, told the Manchester Evening News that the emergency is a "fuss about nothing" despite the "danger to life" warning.
One of the evacuees said it feels like residents are caught up in a Hollywood disaster film.
The woman, whose family was evacuated, told Mirror Online: "All I can say is the emergency services have been absolutely fantastic, we are safe on higher ground staying with family and yeah it's been a bit of a scary 24 hours.
"Feels like scenes from a film watching the helicopter fly past."
More than a month's worth of rain (91mm, or 3.6ins) fell in two days near Whaley Bridge, and the rain quickly ran off into streams and rivers in the Peak District and down to the Toddbrook Reservoir, said ITV meteorologist Laura Tobin.
Sixteen high volume pumps are being used to remove water from the reservoir in a massive effort that is being overseen by structural engineers and involves a number of agencies.
Work to repair the wall can only begin once the water is reduced to a safe level and pressure on the damaged wall is eased.
The water level went down by about 8ins overnight, the Canal and River Trust said.
Officials are hoping for dry weather while the work is carried out, but rain is possible later in the day as the area remains under a severe flood warning, meaning "danger to life".
More than 6,000 people live in Whaley Bridge, which is about 15 miles south-east of Manchester.
There have also been evacuations downstream in places such as New Mills and Furness Vale.
The situation has also disrupted journeys on the Liverpool Lime Street/Nottingham/Norwich rail line and resulted in a number of road closures.
The Chinook was sent from RAF Odiham in Hampshire to assist at the reservoir.
The aggregate will be used to reinforce the damaged wall and stem the flow of water going into the reservoir in other places.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "It will drop one-ton bags of aggregate - a mixture of sand, gravel and stone - into Toddbrook.
"This is intended to stem the flow of water into the reservoir."
Videos shared by Shirebrook Fire Station and local residents showed the Chinook laden with the aggregate as it flew above the area and hovered above the the dam wall.
Police said late on Thursday that 400 tonnes of aggregate would be brought by the RAF as part of a multi-agency taskforce.
Speaking this morning, Assistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet, said: “Our message today remains the same - as there is still a risk the dam will fail – please stay away from the area.
“If you are asked to leave, please heed emergency services and expert advice and do so.
"We understand that being asked to leave your home is an extremely difficult and worrying situation to find yourself in, however it is not a decision we have taken lightly and ultimately the safety of the public is our main concern.
“We have evacuated more than 1,000 people from the areas that would be immediately affected by floodwater should the wall fail.
“The majority have been able to find accommodation with family and friends. About 40 people have also been put up in a local hotel and they will be looked after today.
“We don’t know how long this operation will take to conclude but we and our colleagues in the emergency services, partner agencies, Environment Agency and military are doing everything humanly possible to save the reservoir wall and to protect the town.”
Earlier, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann, chairwoman of the Local Resilience Forum, said: "At this time the future of the dam wall remains in the balance and I would remind people of the very real danger posed to them should the wall collapse."
Many people were told to leave their homes and directed to an evacuation point at a high school in Chapel-en-le-Frith.
Police added that a timescale for people to be able to return to their homes is "currently unknown".
Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, which runs the reservoir, warned it could be "at least 24 hours" until they can rule out the dam collapsing.
"We clearly don't know the nature of the failure, we've not had the opportunity to examine it, but we're operating in a very precautionary way with the other agencies," he told BBC Newsnight.
"Our first priority is to draw down the water and it's very important that we do keep everyone out of the area until that is done.
"It will be at least 24 hours, it could be longer, it really depends on how much progress we can make overnight and into tomorrow morning."
He added that the last annual inspection of the structure by a senior engineer was last November.
The Environment Agency issued a "danger to life" warning covering the River Goyt on Thursday, as the river could "rise rapidly" due to water rushing in from the reservoir.
A small number of properties in the areas of Furness Vale and New Mills, outside Whaley Bridge but inside the flood risk area, were also evacuated on Thursday evening.
A local resident told PA that another section of the spillway - designed to release water - further collapsed on Thursday evening.
Carolyn Whittle, who lives in Meadowfield, on the hillside in Whaley Bridge, said: "Another section of the concrete on the dam face has now collapsed."
The 45-year-old, who works for GM Moving, said: "I've lived in Whaley (Bridge) for the best part of 45 years, and I've never seen water flood over the dam like that, ever, nor thought that we could possibly be at risk in this way."
Forecaster Luke Miall said showers in the area had eased overnight, though there was a possibility of rain later in the day.
He added: "There is still a risk of showers breaking out in the afternoon, but it's a predominantly dry picture for Friday."
Sporadic rain was also likely in north-west Scotland and south-west England.
In its UK-wide forecast, the Met Office said: "Starting dry for many with warm spells of sunshine developing through the morning.
"Scattered showers will break out across parts of Scotland, northern England, south-west Wales and south-west England, these locally heavy.
"Most staying dry though with light winds."
The Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning - meaning "danger to life" - for the River Goyt at Whaley Bridge.
It has also issued six flood warnings for other regions, and 13 flood alerts, as of this morning.
