Doncaster Council teams work around the clock to shore up homes against flooding

The village of Fishlake, Doncaster, submerged under flood water. November 09, 2019.

Mayor Ros Jones has said authorities declared a major incident in Doncaster and said: “I do not want people to panic, but flooding is possible so please be prepared.”

Council teams are monitoring heavy rainfall in the area and local authority teams and the Environment Agency are on standby if needed.

Council workers have been to properties in flood-risk areas and items will continue to be given over the next 24 hours.

The town centre engagement teams have been out leafleting residents in properties that are at risk of flooding with info on how to stack their sandbags in preparation for the heavy rain.

Council teams also cleaned drains, monitored river levels and piled sandbags up against at-risk homes.

The Met Office issued a forecast of heavy rain until Thursday.

“A major incident has been declared at a South Yorkshire Level in preparation for potential flooding over the next few days,” Mayor Jones said.

“Key risk areas have been inspected over the past 36 hours, sand-bags have been handed out to properties in flood-risk areas and this will continue over the next 24 hours.

“Preparations are being put in place for potential flooding, emergency protocols were instigated on Sunday and will run alongside our Covid response.

“Council officers will continue to monitor the situation around the clock alongside partner agencies, with further staffing and resources on standby.”

The council are eager to avoid a repeat of November 2019 when hundreds of homes were flooded after the River Don burst its banks as a result of sustained and heavy rainfall.

Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Heavy and persistent rain falling on already saturated ground with snowmelt in parts of northern, central and eastern England is expected to bring significant river and surface water flooding, and could cause damage to buildings in some communities.

“Flooding could continue to affect parts of central, eastern and northern England into Friday, with localised flooding of land and roads a possibility elsewhere across much of the country on Wednesday and Thursday.”