Thought of future floods 'very scary' for Cambridgeshire family
One villager had to move out for six months because of flooding this year
A woman has said she is frustrated that little progress is being made to better protect homes but worried if parts of a Cambridgeshire village floods again.
In January, Lindsay Wootton and her family had to leave their Brampton home for six months because of damage caused by floods.
But after their return, so too did the flooding towards the end of September.
"In January, we were flooded for the first time which was catastrophic," she said.
"In September, we were flooded again; it (floodwater) came through our damp course not through the doors, but the whole house has had to be completely stripped bare."
Dehumidifiers running '24 hours a day'
Lindsay said she's had to use dehumidifiers "24 hours a day" to help dry the house since the latest floods, before they decide whether or not to make repairs.
This year, flooding has affected people living in Brampton three times, particularly in the Hansell Road area.
In November, villagers were able to listen to multiple agencies including the Environment Agency and Cambridgeshire County Council on what measures can be put in place to better protect residents from future flooding.
One suggestion was dredging - which removes silt material such as soils that have washed into rivers from surrounding land to increase river flow - for the River Great Ouse, but the EA dismissed this as an option.
Thought of repair 'very scary'
Lindsay is concerned if her home was to flood once more.
"The thought of repairing our property again and then something else happening is very daunting and very scary," she said.
"For us, it's not a financial thing; it's our home, it's where we've lived for 23 years but we're working as positively as we can with the agencies to move forward."
Talks between residents, authorities and agencies to discuss solutions are ongoing.
Lindsay is determined not to move out again, but said she is getting "very limited updates" from groups involved and that the emphasis to find a solution must come from villagers.
"I think it's down to the residents to keep this moving in a positive direction because it feels stagnant in terms of how things are moving," she added.
"It's very frustrating for us trying to push things forward when things seem to be going slowly in the background.
"It's mentally very draining, and thankfully we are surrounded by a lot of fantastic people all coming together and trying to move forward with this, and that for us is the most positive thing that's come out of this."
What is the response?
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said it has pledged to "monitoring rivers, inspecting our assets and doing maintenance and clearance activities.
"Our officers are out on the ground monitoring flows, keeping rivers clear of blockages to reduce flood risk and visiting the communities most affected.
"Furthermore, we’re working with partners in Local Resilience Forums and responding to any reports of incidents from the public or partners."
Cambridgeshire County Council said it's investigating the causes of flooding in Brampton and any actions it can take to reduce the risk or impact of floods happening again.