Full review promised into how Lincolnshire's emergency services responded to Storm Babet

Up to 300 properties were affected by flooded

Full review promised into Lincolnshire's flood response
Author: Andy MarshPublished 27th Oct 2023

A review is to be carried out in Lincolnshire on whether more could have been done to address serious flooding across the county

Up to 300 homes were affected by flooding and the investigation will try and assess how emergency services responded and whether new defence measures are needed.

It's already been admitted a flood defence project in Horncastle didn't work as it should have done.

The ground became saturated

We've been finding out about the operation from the Environment Agency's Area Director for Leigh Edlin.

He told us: "The weather situation has improved through the week, we've seen river levels lower which is good news in most of the catchments."

"We've been able to reduce the number of flood warnings we have out around Lincolnshire."

"The initial torrent that we had meant that the ground was completely saturated, rivers were swollen so any additional rain you get thereafter just adds to the rivers."

"Those rivers respond really quickly and in some places around Lincolnshire we had actual overtopping."

Lincolnshire has had a really serious incident

"We know that in excess of ten thousand properties have benefitted from flood defences but sadly between one and three hundred properties have suffered flooding both from rivers but also surface flooding."

"I guess with the climate crisis we're seeing more and more of these sorts of weather event and Lincolnshire has had a really serious incident and I think this is one of the most significant flooding events we've had perhaps in living memory."

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