Storm Babet’s impact on 20th October resulted sadly in 8 houses in Southwell and others in neighbouring villages, most notably Lowdham, being flooded plus heavy surface water flooding on roads. Our thoughts are with those affected as they recover from the trauma – please contact us if you need any help or signposting to help such as the government Property Flood Resilience grant.
The Potwell Dyke Alleviation project is designed to protect those affected properties in Southwell but it is complex and has been subject to delays and further investigations. Nottingham Road is also a vulnerable area which doesn’t affect houses but is disruptive to the local residents, school, leisure centre and through traffic.
The mitigation works done so far by Nottinghamshire County Council and our vigilance as a community, reduced the impact compared to 2007 and 2013 given that 71mm rain fell in 24 hours and was possibly a similar sized event to 2007 and that many other communities suffered badly including areas which hadn’t flooded previously.
Thanks to Southwell Town Council staff for their support and help and especially to our voluntary trained Road Closure Wardens who had to implement our complex Road Closure Scheme in so many parts of town. We are hugely grateful for their commitment, resilience and dedication in using their training and initiative to perform their role effectively. We close roads to avoid bow waves to prevent flooding houses and ensure the safety of people and drivers.
Our watercourses and drainage system need to be functioning properly to help rainwater drain efficiently. This reinforces the need for us all to be vigilant for blockages which can be reported via the MyNotts app or to the Town Council. Riparian owners on Potwell Dyke have a particular responsibility and we urge you to maintain a clear flow.
Southwell Flood Forum is co-ordinating clearance sessions to help those who may appreciate extra hands. Thank you to those who turned up to our market stall on 28th March to volunteer or ask for information. We welcome anyone who would like to join us for watercourse clearance, as a Warden (‘call-outs’ are rare – it’s minimal time commitment once trained) or in an admin capacity. Contact resilience@southwellfloodforum.org.uk or 07971 443684
