'Immediate action' required by York residents as urgent flood warning issued

Residents of riverside homes in York have been warned to take 'immediate action' - with imminent flooding expected.

The Flood Information Service updated the situation from 'flood alert' to 'flood warning' on Tuesday morning (January 19) due to high river levels.

The river levels have peaked in the city following a combination of persistent rain and snowmelt over the weekend.

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Flood prevention strategies including The Foss Barrier have been activated and flood gates are now closed.

'Immediate action' required by York residents as urgent flood warning issued'Immediate action' required by York residents as urgent flood warning issued
'Immediate action' required by York residents as urgent flood warning issued

The warning states: "The flood warning for the River Ouse at York, Riverside Properties remains in force due to high river levels.

"The levels in York have peaked following the rainfall and snowmelt over the weekend.

"The Foss Barrier is in operation and flood gates are closed.

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"Persistent and heavy rain is forecast for later today Tuesday 19/01/2021 and will continue through until early Thursday 21/01/2021.

"We expect levels to rise significantly. Early forecasts indicate potential levels over 4m later this week.

"Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and do not drive through flood water.

"Please see the GOV.UK website for a 5 day flood forecast. We are closely monitoring the situation and will update this message in 8 hours or as the situation changes."

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The Met Office confirmed "heavy rainfall combined with some snowmelt across the hills is likely to lead to flooding" in Yorkshire.

The full warning reads:

- Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings

- Fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life

- Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely

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- Spray and flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures

- A good chance some communities cut off by flooded roads

- Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely

The amber warning has been put in place between 6am and 12am on Tuesday morning (Jan 19).

The warning was updated on Tuesday morning to increase the area size covered - with the storm set to cause havoc for commuters.

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Highways England is set to increase traffic resources to help deal with the impact of the storm.

On a tweet, Highways England urged drivers to only make "essential journeys".

They said: "We are increasing our #TrafficOfficer resource in preparation for #StromChristoph.

"Please only make essential journeys as we expect the rain to cause challenging driving conditions."

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Storm Christoph is the third named storm of the 2020/21 season so far.

What to do in a storm - Met Office advice:

Prepare:

prepare a bag that includes medicines and insurance documents

check for flood warnings and sign up for free alerts

Act:

turn off gas, water and electricity

move things upstairs or to safety

move family, pets and car to safety

Survive:

call 999 if in immediate danger

follow advice from emergency service

keep yourself and your family safe

The public are advised to stay away from swollen rivers and not to walk or drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

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