New Year washout looms for villagers

Half of Burton Fleming has been underwater since Christmas Eve, but round-the-clock efforts by the emergency services and others has not significantly reduced water levels. Some residents are battling day and night to keep the water from the swollen Gypsey Race water course from entering their properties.

Parish councillor Keith Wells said there had been discussions about releasing water out of the village more quickly – but that could mean flooding in Rudston three miles downstream: “I would say it has dropped an inch in the last 12 hours, mainly down to work clearing out debris from the Gypsey Race. Instead of being 12 inches (deep) it’s 11.

“There’s about 20 homes that are affected to one degree or another – with water in or carpets starting to go soggy.

“Some people are trying desperately to keep it out by making a hole in their floor so they can put a pump in. This is not rainwater flowing off the surface it is groundwater that is coming up through the springs.”

He said East Riding Council, though slow to start with, were working well with the fire service, which has been operating a high-volume pump in the village and the Environment Agency, which has four others.

The last time the village flooded as badly was in 1947.

Mr Wells has appealed for traffic to steer clear of the village, to avoid sending bow-waves into people’s homes.

He added: “Hopefully if there isn’t too much rain, hopefully it will slowly subside, but I think we are looking at a long time, days if not weeks before it comes off the highway.”

A spokeswoman for Humberside and Fire and Rescue Service said: “Water levels are the same; we are going to stay on the scene until anything changes.”

Firefighters had to rescue a man at Cattal Bridge, Cattal Moor Lane, Cattal, near Knaresborough, yesterday morning after his car broke down when he became stuck in around 4ft of flood water.

Fire crews from Knaresborough and Wetherby were first on the scene and rescued the man.

There were a number of flood warnings in place yesterday in North Yorkshire as river levels rose across the county. In York the Environment Agency issued warnings for the River Ouse including for St George’s Field and Rowntree Park and for riverside properties in the Kings Staith, Queens Staith and South Esplanade.

In September’s floods, York was the worst hit in the region, with dozens of homes and businesses affected. The River Ouse in York peaked at about 16.5ft above normal summer levels – the second highest level since records began. Yesterday the Environment Agency said the river was 12.6ft (3.8m) above summer levels and was predicted to rise to 13.9ft (4.2m) overnight.

There were 20 flood warnings in place in Yorkshire yesterday.

Flood warnings were also in place for a number of other rivers including the River Wharfe at Bolton Bridge, River Wharfe at Wetherby and the River Swale at Kirby Wiske. Market Street in Hebden Bridge was shut for a short time yesterday.

The latest figures show around 540 properties have flooded nationally since December 19.

The Environment Agency has advised travellers to plan carefully and take a “flood kit” including warm, dry clothes, first aid kit and mobile phone and charger after first checking local radio and TV stations for flooded roads along their proposed route.

Cheltenham Racecourse was forced to cancel its New Year’s Day meeting after heavy rain left the track waterlogged.