By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
More than 100 flooded properties have now been evacuated across Nottinghamshire after days of heavy rain.
Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major incident on Thursday (January 4) as the River Trent burst its banks and some riverside communities were overwhelmed.
The Environment Agency believes as of Friday morning (January 5) water is now starting to drop after coming close to rising above a 21st century high recorded in 2000.
However, Councillor Neil Clarke (Con), the council’s Cabinet member for Environment, says more evacuations may still take place and the consequences will be felt for months.
“We think more than 100 properties have been flooded and evacuated. Some households have gone to temporary accommodation, and others are staying with family or friends,” he said.
“Newark Leisure Centre is open as a rest centre for those who need somewhere to go in the short-term.
“The Environment Agency tells us that the River Trent depth gauge at Colwick has peaked and has dropped two to four inches. So it’s on its way down, but how quickly it will recede, we don’t know.
“Downriver in the Newark area, there are still a lot of riverside villages under threat and there may be further evacuations to take place.”
The Environment Agency’s flood warnings remain in place for communities along the Trent Valley, and residents are advised to make preparations in case they need to evacuate.
Cllr Clarke said: “My heart goes out to people who are flooded – it’s a traumatic experience. We know from past flooding it takes many months for properties to dry out, put in new floors and redecorate.
“While the water may disappear in the next days, the ongoing consequences will be felt for many months.
“It has been very difficult since Storm Babet. The volume of water in such a short space of time has been horrendous .
“If the rainfall was steady, it could be dealt with, but such a large volume saturates the ground. The only thing water can do is run off.”
Please do not access the reserve. The water levels are still high as expected and the centre will remain closed all weekend. We will continue to monitor the situation. @nat_fahy @nottslive @bbcemt @Notts_TV @BBCNottingham @ITVCentral pic.twitter.com/h6X70nPnNg
— Attenborough Reserve (@AttenboroughNR) January 5, 2024
He urged people not to ignore road closure signs or attempt to drive through flood water.
“It is always frustrating to see people do this, and it is incredibly dangerous – you don’t know what is under the water,” he said.
“They could also create a wave which hits properties which would otherwise have escaped.
“Flood water is dangerous. There have regrettably been tragedies in other parts of the country where people have gotten into horrendous difficulties. We don’t want that to happen in Nottinghamshire.”
He said the county council’s flood team is continually looking at new projects to alleviate flooding, such as small dams to release water in a controlled manner.
Residents are also offered resilience measures, including flood gates on doors and driveways.
See a list of which roads remained closed in Nottinghamshire.
