DERBYSHIRE/CHESIRE: An evacuation took place near a reservoir in Derbyshire which was battered by heavy rain on Thursday, as the Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning covering the River Goyt at Whaley Bridge.
A wall around Toddbrook Reservoir had been damaged and images appeared to show a huge hole in the dam wall. Derbyshire Police told Whaley Bridge residents to head to a local school amid fears that the wall could collapse.
A spokesman said: “Officers and staff will be at the school to give further direction but at this time we aren’t sure how long the evacuation will take. Please make alternate arrangements to stay with friends/family, ensure that pets and medication that may be needed for a number of days are taken.”
The Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning, suggesting a danger to life, covering the River Goyt at Whaley Bridge. It states that the river could “rise rapidly” due to water rushing in from the reservoir.
As a helicopter hovered above the village, police officers went door to door in Whaley Bridge to get everyone out. Going the other way were teams of council workers and mountain rescue vehicles heading into the village.
Flooding due to sustained rain disrupted all lines on the railway between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow on Thursday, according to train operator Northern. A major incident was declared late on Wednesday in Poynton, Cheshire, due to “severe flooding” and local groundwork landscaper Adam Wainwright described the aftermath as “complete chaos”.
He said: “We had flash flooding and heavy rain. There have been houses where the flood has had an effect, and it has just ripped through the houses. The water has just gone through the front door and out the back.”
A bridge which partially collapsed due to the flooding in Poynton caused a nearby tree to fall into Simon Howcroft’s garden, where a sinkhole also opened up. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said firefighters, emergency services personnel and staff from Highways England were helping those affected, with a rest centre established at Poynton Civic Hall.
CFRS added: “Please bear with us, crews and police officers are working very hard to get to those in need and the most vulnerable in our communities.”
Police urged people not to ignore “road closed” signs by driving or walking through water. Poynton Fire Station said its crews had handled call-outs to 20 incidents including to help people stranded by flooding. By the early hours, crews had finished a seven-hour stint involving rescues, salvage operations and incidents involving electrics and floodwater. From about 4pm to 2am, they went to different bridges in the area and cleared away debris to try to help the water flow so people could get to their homes.
Police in nearby Wilmslow also said officers were “dealing with flooding” and had evacuated affected residents, with Oakenclough Children’s Centre open as a rest centre. The Environment Agency said its teams were out in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester, where intense rainfall had caused flooding and disruption on Thursday. It urged people to say away from swollen rivers and to avoid driving through flood water. It issued a series of flood warnings covering central, north-west and north-east England.