Damaged dam remains at ‘critical level’
Residents allowed brief return to collect pets
RESIDENTS of a town evacuated due to fears a nearby reservoir could collapse will be temporarily allowed home to collect essentials as the damaged dam remains at a “critical level”.
Water levels at the Toddbrook Reservoir have been reduced by half a metre, but engineers remain “very concerned” about the integrity of the damaged 180-year-old structure, which contains around 1.3 million tonnes of water.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the Derbyshire town of Whaley Bridge.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Whaley Bridge amid the concerns over the dam.
An RAF Chinook and around 150 firefighters using high-volume pumps appear to have partly stabilised the “unprecedented, fast-moving emergency situation” caused by heavy rain.
During a multi-agency press conference, Assistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet of Derbyshire Police said there was still “a substantial threat to life” if the dam wall fails.
Due to concerns raised by residents over pets being left behind, he said officers had made the “difficult” decision to allow people to return to their homes temporarily.
“This is very controlled, I must stress that, because this is still life at risk.” Numbers returning will be restricted to one person per household, he said, and it was “difficult” to say when people would be allowed to return permanently.
Improving weather and work on the inflows means the amount of water entering the reservoir has also reduced.
Police have closed railway lines in the area over the risk of potential flooding.
The Prime Minister said “first responders, engineers and RAF crews are working around the clock to fix the dam” and he has ordered Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers to chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee to discuss the situation.
Around 1,000 people were evacuated from the town, but most found their own accommodation with family and friends, according to Derbyshire County Council.
Carolyn Whittle, who lives in Meadowfield on the hillside in Whaley Bridge, said: “I’ve never seen water flood over the dam like that, ever, nor thought that we could possibly be at risk in this way.”
Meanwhile, clean-up operations are underway across parts of the North West hit by heavy rain, including Poynton in Cheshire, where residents were evacuated on Wednesday evening.