Catcliffe flooding: Environment Agency to review warning system after residents not made aware of flooding

The Environment Agency says it will review its flood warning system after residents in Yorkshire were not warned within two hours that their homes would be flooded during a storm.

More than 250 homes were evacuated in Catcliffe following flooding caused by Storm Babet in October 2023, and the river Rother in Catcliffe saw the highest river levels ever recorded.

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A formal section 19 report was published earlier this month, which outlines Rotherham Council’s and the Environment Agency’s response to the flooding.

Following a meeting with residents to discuss the impact of the flooding, Rotherham MP Sarah Champion wrote to Emma Hardy, the minister for water and flooding, to ask for funding to ensure the flooding does not happen again.

Residents view the aftermath as flood waters begin to recede in the village of Catcliffe after Storm Babet flooded homes, business and roads on October 23, 2023 in Rotherham. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Residents view the aftermath as flood waters begin to recede in the village of Catcliffe after Storm Babet flooded homes, business and roads on October 23, 2023 in Rotherham. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Residents view the aftermath as flood waters begin to recede in the village of Catcliffe after Storm Babet flooded homes, business and roads on October 23, 2023 in Rotherham. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Ms Champion highlighted the community’s frustrations, pointing out a 40-minute delay between the flood warnings and their receipt by residents. Some residents say they received no warning at all before floodwaters inundated their homes.

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Ms Champion has also called for an investigation into the delay, questioning why warnings were not issued sooner, and whether the current notification system is fit for purpose. As part of her letter, she added that the community had suggested a siren system is installed to ensure residents are quickly alerted in future emergencies.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency acknowledged that its target of providing at least two hours’ notice of potential flooding was not met for some homes in Catcliffe during the storm.

The spokesperson said: “Our aim is to give a minimum of two hours’ notice for the risk of potential flooding and, for some homes in Catcliffe, we did not meet this target. We have since engaged with many members of the community and reviewed our flood warning system to make improvements.

“Protecting communities against the risk of flooding is our top priority and we are committed to ongoing discussions to enhance our services.”

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