Heavy rain led to flood nightmare, says report
A report has been published into serious flooding earlier this year, that destroyed houses and left people homeless.
On Sunday February 9, the residents of Riverside Drive in Kearsley had to relive the nightmare of Boxing Day 2015 as the River Irwell burst its banks and water came rushing into people’s living rooms. Smiths Road, in Farnworth, also flooded due to the River Croal’s levels rising.
A flood investigation report outlines who was affected, determines why the properties flooded, reviews responses during and after the event, and recommends further action.
At Riverside Drive the depth of the flooding, which came as a result of Storm Ciara, was significant with around one metre of water inundating some homes.
The report concluded that powerful and sustained rainfall falling on saturated ground resulted in flooding from the Rivers Irwell and Croal.
The report states: “In the 24-hour period between 9pm on the February 8 and 9pm on the February 9 the local rainfall total was around 56 mm or 70 per cent of the average February
monthly total. Rainfall data further upstream in the River Irwell catchment at Rossendale indicates much higher rainfall 24-hour totals of around 80mm were experienced.”
The highest level ever recorded at the River Irwell at Kearsley is 6.33m, reached during the Boxing Day storm of 2015.
On February 9, the highest level reached was 5.33m at 2.45pm. This is the second highest level since recording started in 2012.
The monitoring of the River Croal at Farnworth showed the the highest level reached during the flood was 1.31m at 1.30pm. This is the fifth highest level recorded since 1948.
Flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency for the River Irwell at Prestolee and Ringley Bridges at 9.05am on the day of the flood; reports of flooding to property occurred from 12.45pm. At Riverside Drive, highway drainage gullies were cleaned after the flood event, in some locations silt levels within road gullies were found to be high from inundation of material during river flooding. An Environment Agency project to protect the Prestolee community from future flooding is currently in the process of building a business case.
Local rainfall was around 56mm or 70 per cent of the average monthly total Flood investigation report