Flooding clear up underway after Lancashire and North West battered by rain
Many parts of the county remain flooded, with a major incident declared in nearby Wigan
Last updated 2nd Jan 2025
Clean up operations are set to get underway later after heavy rain hit the North West, causing flooding.
In Lancashire many roads in the county became impassable because of rising water, whilst in Ormskirk and Ribchester residents had their homes flooded, with Ormskirk Civic Hall opening its doors for those who needed help and support.
The worst of the weather appears to have hit Wigan in Greater Manchester. Firefighters and rescue teams had to use boats to rescue people stuck in their homes in Platt Bridge.
The area is still closed this morning with a cordon in place around Platt Street and Liverpool Road. As work gets underway to drain the area of water and carry out repairs, Electricity North West have opened a number of venues where residents can go for support.
The Mcdonalds in Platt Bridge has been open since 5am, offering hot food and drink, with The Coffee Shop in Ashton-in-Makerfield opening its doors from 8am to offer support.
"Urgent" safety advice from Electricity North West
Teams from the region's power grid are responding to issues including flooded electricity substations and damaged underground cables.
Richard Moulton, Incident Manager at Electricity North West, said: "We build flood protections into our high risk sites, but when these are breached and water enters our equipment the power will cut off for safety reasons. If you're without power, it may be because your local substation, or the cable between the substation and your property, is flooded.
"Our teams are out on site making repairs as fast as we can, but in many cases we will have to wait until the flood water recedes before we can access sites and restore power safely.
"We are responsible for all the cables up to your meter, so if you have a power cut or your meter has been flooded, contact Electricity North West in the first instance so we can assess and repair any network issues, keep you safe and advise next steps. In some cases you may need to contact a private qualified electrician to assess or repair your meter following a flood."
Advice from Electricity North West during a flood:
Make sure any appliances or electrical equipment is switched off.
Turn off your power supply by the isolator switch but only if it's safe to do so.
Do not touch any electricity points when standing in water.
Check any elderly or sick neighbours or relatives to make sure they are safe.
In a statement David Molyneux, the Leader of the Council, said: "We've been working closely with the police, fire and health services and utility providers to ensure residents are safe.
"This includes setting up a rest centre for those who have had to leave their homes.
"I know some areas, particularly Platt Bridge, are still affected and I would like to reassure residents that our team are doing everything then can to keep everyone safe and well"