UPDATE: Flood warning and one flood alert removed for Boston area, one flood alert remains

The flood warning – meaning flooding was expected – applied to the River Witham and associated Fens from Chapel Hill to Boston, including South Kyme Fen, Holland Fen, Great Fen and Wyberton Fen.

It was removed at 12.40pm today.

The Government’s Check For Flooding website states: “The River Witham has been falling steadily today Friday, January 10, and we do not expect any further flooding to properties between Chapel Hill to Boston. There may be standing water in low lying areas and fields for several days.”

In addition, a flood alert – meaning flooding was possible – has been removed for isolated properties and villages in wider low-lying areas east of the South Forty Foot Drain and minor tributaries from Bourne to Boston.

For this, the website states: “The risk of flooding from the South Forty Foot Drain has now reduced and levels have fallen below levels of concern. No further flooding to fields and roads is expected, however there may be standing water seen for several days.”

That flood alert was removed just after 2pm today.

Another flood alert, however, remains in place for the Lower River Witham from Lincoln to Boston (tributaries may also affect Coningsby, South Kyme, Woodhall Spa, and Bardney).

The statement that appears alongside this flood alert reads: “On Monday, we saw heavy rainfall in the Lower Witham catchment area. This means that the River Witham has risen, leading to flooding of low-lying land and roads close to the river.

“No further rain is forecast for the next few days, however we expect the river to remain high and flooding to gardens, driveways or outhouses is possible close to the river. Our forecasts indicate that flooding inside properties is possible and therefore flood warnings have been issued.

“We are constantly monitoring river levels and have staff in the field checking for blockages and clearing weedscreens. Please avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”

On Wednesday, a flood alert was removed for the East and West Fen catchwaters, plus the Stonebridge Drain to the north of Boston, covering such areas as Eastville, Midville and New Leake.

ORIGINAL STORY:

One flood warning and several flood alerts are in place for the Boston area this afternoon (Tuesday, January 7).

The flood warning – meaning flooding is expected – applies to the River Witham and associated Fens from Chapel Hill to Boston, including South Kyme Fen, Holland Fen, Great Fen and Wyberton Fen.

Flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – have been put in place for:

• Isolated properties and villages in wider low-lying areas east of the South Forty Foot Drain and minor tributaries from Bourne to Boston.
• The East and West Fen catchwaters, plus the Stonebridge Drain to the north of Boston.
• The lower River Witham from Lincoln to Boston (tributaries may also affect Coningsby, South Kyme, Woodhall Spa, and Bardney).

At about 11am today, the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum spoke of the impact of recent heavy rain on Boston and other parts of the county.

A spokesman said: “There were isolated incidents of flooding overnight at Boston and Greatford, with some residents being moved upstairs for safety. These issues have stabilised and are being monitored.

“The situation is improving, water levels are reducing in most areas and risks overnight have been controlled and managed. Road closures are also rapidly being lifted.

“We are still treating the situation as a major incident due to the risk of overtopping at the South Delph and the high tide impact on the South Forty Foot Drain at Boston. We need to assess these risks on the ground over the next few hours before we can downgrade it.

A total of 194 properties have been flooded so far and despite receding water levels, this number could still rise, the spokesman added, saying there are currently 27 flood warnings and 18 flood alerts across Lincolnshire.

“EMAS (East Midlands Ambulance Service) declared a critical incident at 6pm yesterday due to the number of calls they were receiving,” they continued. “The picture has significantly improved and crews are not currently being affected by flood water.

Boston Borough Council says it is aware of the flooding and that staff, volunteers, and partner agencies are ‘in the area supporting our communities’. The authority asked motorists to avoid Park Road and Wyberton West Road – two roads near the South Forty Foot Drain – for the time being.

Temperatures are expected to fall below zero from 3pm every day until the weekend and driving conditions are likely to be challenging, so motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum added.

Lincolnshire Police’s Chief Insp Gary Brockie said: “Although the situation is improving, there are some key risks that we need to monitor over the next couple of hours before we can confidently downgrade from a major incident.

“Teams from the Police, Fire and Rescue, Lincolnshire County Council, the Environment Agency and District councils are out in our communities working hard to keep residents safe and we would urge people to monitor the relevant websites for updates and to heed advice where required.”