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Reader’s letter: Questions over flood response




Serious questions appear relevant following the recent significant flood on the River Trent in respect of why action was taken so late to evacuate residents of a Care Home at Hazleford Ferry.

Following the flood of November 2000 the Environment Agency has established detailed advance data on river levels including a modelling of possible maximum level. It has also created a direct warning system to those signed up to receive such warnings in order to take all necessary steps.

By mid-afternoon on January 3 it was indicating that there was a risk the peak would exceed that of November 2000 — the river at Colwick had risen sharply during the morning.

It further appears from media information issued by Nottinghamshire county councillor Neil Clarke that the Tactical Emergency Response team did not meet until the morning of 4th — by which time problems had already occurred at Gunthorpe due to a failure to close the flooded A6097 overnight.

Why was that meeting so late?

The evidence requiring action was at least two days old — from the amount of rain and the flooded tributaries it was obvious a critical incident was happening.

The authority has failed to act in a suitable and responsible manner.

Lessons learnt in 2000 have obviously been completely lost and forgotten.

Such major floods have no connection with climate change — the greatest flood for which there is reporting in newspapers is 1795 —both that flood and that of 1947 resulted from snow melt and ice melt.

The frequency of floods has not increased.

The flood last week is ranked the seventh highest since 1900 for which flow data is recorded.

Most severe is March 1947 followed by February 1946, November 2000, May 1932, December 1960 and February 1977.

Earlier 19th Century floods are recorded by marks at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. — R. FELL, Lowdham.



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