Volunteers help protect homes from flooding
Colnbrook: Rising river levels and heavy rain bring risk of flooding
People scrambled to protect their homes from flooding in Colnbrook following heavy rainfall over the past week.
People scrambled to protect their homes from flooding in Colnbrook following heavy rainfall over the past week.
River levels have been rising across the South East due to the torrential downpours brought by Storm Christoph.
The Environment Agency issued a number of flood warnings in response and urged residents to take immediate action to erect flood defences.
Volunteers from Slough-based Khalsa Aid helped lay more than 900 sandbags in Colnbrook on Saturday to protect homes in Coleridge Crescent,
near the Colne Brook.
The charity’s founder Ravi Singh said: “It was an amazing effort and everyone brought teas, biscuits and shovels and got on with it
“We’ve ordered another few thousand sandbags so if it gets worse we can react again and the community knows we are here and the Khalsa community will stand by them.”
Datchet-based boat hire firm Kris Crusiers was also hit by rising water levels.
The company’s offices and workshops, in Southlea Road, were left almost knee-deep in water following heavy rainfall.
Paul Clark, manager of the family-run business, said: “Our family has been here since 1966 so we’re well experienced of what happens and what to do to prevent things.
“Years ago we raised all our power sockets up to a point where if they were under water then Datchet village completely floods.
“Back in the last floods in 2014 the water was just lapping the bottom of the sockets and obviously Datchet village flooded.”
Paul said the Environment Agency has assured the company water levels upstream of the River Thames, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire, are beginning to fall.
But he added the area remains under pressure due to water being released from the Jubilee River flood relief channel just half-a-mile upstream from Kris Cruisers.
Flood warnings are currently in place at several locations along the River Thames, including Old Windsor, where residents are being warned to take immediate action to protect properties.