flood

East Devon Clear up to take at least six weeks

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Tue, 02/11/2014 - 4:26pm

Repair and clear-up work after damage from the latest storms is expected to take at least six weeks according to East Devon District Council.

Collapsing beach huts, damaged seafronts and a washed away ice cream parlour have all been handled by Council staff in the recent work to clear the damage left by weeks of severe weather conditions.

However, with more strong gales and heavy rain expected to hit the county late tonight and throughout the day tomorrow bringing the risk of further damage, the clear-up work may take even longer than expected.

The Met Office’s...

More flood risk as heavy rain continues

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Mon, 01/27/2014 - 4:41pm

Forecasters are warning that further heavy rain is due to hit Devon until late on Tuesday (28 January).

The Met Office warns that frequent showers, some heavy, will bring a further 10-15 mm of rainwater into the region with the risk of up to 40 mm of rain on some areas of high ground.

The rain brings the risk of even further flooding and travel disruption especially in areas where the ground is already saturated.

The Met Office’s chief forecaster said: “A very unsettled start to this week is expected as an area of low pressure moves slowly southwards across Britain...

RSPCA in action as storms batter Britain

Fifty of the RSPCA’s specially trained rescue teams have been out rescuing animals affected by the storms across England.

The RSPCA has received around 150 calls for its help specifically for flood related incidents. From the 29th December 2013 to the 2nd January 2014, the RSPCA has been called to 149 incidents and assisted in the rescue of over 130 animals.

These figures are expected to rise over the weekend, as more severe weather looks set to batter Britain. With around 300 RSPCA inspectors, and only 45 specially trained water rescue specialists, the charity is braced...

Emergency services stay on high alert

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Fri, 01/03/2014 - 4:57pm

Emergency services will remain on high alert for further flooding tonight.

Over 30 flood warnings are in place in the South West but there are no 'Severe' flood warnings in place with the high tide around 8pm tonight is expected to be lower than last night.

However Met Office warnings against severe wind and rain will continue to remain in place through to the evening with a further weather warning for rain issued for Sunday.

The poor weather and flooding is still causing travel disruptions to much of the county today with a lightning and hail storm knocking out...

Man dies after jumping into River to save dog

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Wed, 12/25/2013 - 12:08pm

A 46-year-old man from Newton Abbot has died after attempting to rescue a dog from a fast-flowing river.

Police, along with the fire service and paramedics were called to the River Lemon in Newton Abbot after reports that a man was in the river.

The man jumped into the river to rescue his black labrodor dog who had jumped into the river and been swept away. A number of 999 calls were made by members of the public, around 11.15am, after the man appeared to have got into difficulty in the fast flowing water near to the Asda store.

The man was then swept away by the...

Defra appoints academic to oversee flood risks in South West

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed an academic from the University of Exeter to Chair the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC). Professor Robert Van de Noort’s appointment is a reflection of his extensive research in the dynamics of coasts, rivers and peatlands, and how people have interacted with these landscapes over a period of more than 10,000 years, in addition to his various roles across the sector. The Regional Flood and Coastal Committees were set up under the Floods and Water Management Act 2010 and play an important local role...

Be prepared for more rain tonight

Authored by Marc Astley
Posted: Sun, 12/23/2012 - 10:32am

There is a risk of further flooding across the South West as more rain is forecast tonight.

Significant travel disruption is also expected across many parts of the country.

The Met Office has forecast further rain on Sunday and into Monday and this could result in further flooding in south west England.

Since Friday nearly 400 properties have been flooded and the Environment Agency says that its flood defences have protected more than 20,000 homes.

Environment Agency teams continue to work around the clock, deploying temporary flood defences, monitoring...

Flooding update from the Environment Agency

The Hemyock, Cullompton, Stoke Canon, Broadclyst and Clyst St Mary areas remain under flood alert as further rain is forecast. Scattered and blustery showers are expected on Saturday through to Monday with some heavy bursts throughout this period. Winds forecast for this weekend remain strong with gusts up to Force 8.

East facing coastal locations, including Beesands, Torcross, Slapton, Torbay and Dawlish also remain under flood alert for the high tides on Friday evening and Saturday morning. The time and date of forecast high water at Beesands is Tide 1: 18:30 on 14th December...

Additional drop-in events for flood-hit communities

More flood drop-in sessions are being organised across the county to give local people the opportunity to say how they have been affected by the recent floods.

Devon County Council and the Environment Agency are organising the events, with the support of Teignbridge, West Devon, South Hams, East Devon and Mid Devon District Councils, Exeter City Council and South West Water, to enable communities to speak directly to staff from local authorities and agencies and raise any concerns they may have.

It will also give the Councils and the Environment Agency the opportunity to...

ABI calls for Government to support flood insurance fund

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called for the Government to commit to a joint solution to ensure long-term affordable flood insurance for high-risk households.

The ABI has described the current state of talks aimed at reaching an agreement as being at an impasse. This follows the Government’s refusal to consider providing a temporary overdraft facility to a proposed not-for-profit special insurance fund for 200,000 high-risk households which will otherwise struggle to get affordable household insurance when the current arrangements come to an end next year....

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