We're not out of the woods yet': Lincolnshire County Council warns of more flooding to come

After heavy rainfall affected parts of the county over the weekend, local officials have highlighted that storms are occurring with greater frequency and intensity, partly as a result of changing weather patterns.

Thankfully, the rainfall this weekend has so far only led to external flooding. However, officials are advising communities to remain vigilant until conditions normalise, a milestone some believe won’t be reached until later this spring.

During the council’s Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday (February 19), Coun Colin Davie, portfolio holder for Economic Development, Environment, and Planning, highlighted that the council is currently conducting 230 flooding investigations, involving around 850 properties across the county following the previous two storms in October (Babet) and January (Henk).

He underscored the “unprecedented” nature of these incidents, stating they are on a scale not seen since Lincolnshire County Council became the lead flood authority in 2012.

Coun Davie described the situation as a “challenging period,” adding: “We’re not out of the woods yet.” He noted that more issues with surface water are expected following the weekend’s heavy rain.

LCC’s Flood and Water Manager, Matthew Harrison, noted that around 600 “near misses” were also recorded in the aftermath of the two major storms. “It really does paint a significant picture county-wide,” he remarked.

Chris Miller, Head of Environment at LCC, added: “It’s fairly clear that storms will come with greater frequency and indeed intensity. With that rain comes the added risk of extra flooding.

“This time of year, after already having two events, the ground is saturated, so more rain complicates things and creates greater levels of risk into an already saturated system.”

In the last two weeks, the banks of the River Witham near Fiskerton were breached for the second time in four months, due to a combination of heavy snow and rain. This latest breach, worsened by previous damage from Storm Babet, resulted in flooding of nearby paddocks in Short Ferry.

Acknowledging the series of challenging weather events, Morgan Wray, a Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, remarked: “This weather pattern looks like it’s here for a little while longer.”

Coun Thomas Ashton, chairman of the Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee, believes there’s an urgent need for the Environment Agency to address the gaps in flood defences during periods of calm between weather events.

“The challenge we’ve faced in recent months is that just as we manage to lower the water levels, it comes rushing back in through the breaches. If the ground conditions improve and the Environment Agency can plug these breaches, then the water levels can stay down, allowing us to return to something resembling normalcy.”