County on flood alert
HOMES in Derby and Derbyshire have been at risk from flooding since river levels started to rise following heavy rainfall yesterday.
The Environment Agency was warning that properties could flood in Derby as downpours continued to swell the River Derwent.
It was forecast that the Derwent in the city could reach more than 2.5 metres higher than normal overnight, while at Matlock it could reach more than three metres above normal.
River levels across the county also rose following the arrival of Storm Christoph.
The River Wye reached its highest level in several years in the Peak District, while flood warnings and alerts were issued across the county.
People in areas covered by these warnings were being urged to take “immediate action”.
Warnings were also issued for Bakewell, Litton Mill, Ashford in the Water, Whaley Bridge and Darley Dale.
People in these areas were being urged to move possessions and valuables off the ground or to safety, while also turning off the gas, electricity and water supplies amid flood fears.
The Met Office forecasted that there could be no let-up in the wet conditions either, as heavy rain continued throughout the day and was expected to continue into the early hours today.
An amber warning for rain was in place for large parts of the county, with the rainfall expected to make travel conditions difficult.
Yesterday, heavy rain caused flooding in several low-lying parts of the county with some motorists getting stranded in flood water.
The Flood Information Service said river levels in Whaley Bridge were expected to rise “rapidly” after issuing a flood warning for the town.
On its website it said: “River levels are forecast to rise rapidly as a result of heavy rainfall. Consequently, flooding of property is possible between 07:30 20/01/20 and midday 21/01/21.
“We believe there is a possibility of flooding for properties close to the River Goyt. We expect river levels to remain high until 13:00 on 21/01/21. We are closely monitoring the situation.
“Our incident response staff are closely monitoring weather forecasts and river levels and will issue further updates if necessary. This message will be updated in eight hours, or as the situation changes.”
Derby Parks tweeted that lowlying land and property in Derby was at risk and urged people to take care in the city’s parks.
It tweeted: “With more rainfall forecast and the rivers already high, a #floodwarning is in place for low lying land and property in #Derby. Be aware when visiting parks.”
Derbyshire County Council said it had closed Darley Bridge on the B5057 in Darley Dale due to “very high river levels”. It was urging people not to drive or walk through flood water.
Derby City Council said it had closed the swing bridge at the Silk Mill to pedestrians.
Dovedale’s iconic stepping stones were also completely submerged by the raging torrent of water surging through the picturesque valley.
The crossing point’s raised stones have disappeared under water and stopped a fallen tree in its tracks after several days of rain.
It was also reported that the River Derwent could reach its highest recorded level at Church Wilne today.
The area was issued a flood warning by the Flood Information Service yesterday. The service then forecast that the Derwent could reach a level of 2.55 metres in the area at around noon today.
This would take it above the 2.52 metres record flow for that part of the river.