Highways bosses explain reasons for Sheffield flash flooding and defend record on clearing drains
More rain forecast for the weekend
Highways bosses have explained why parts of Sheffield where hit by flash flooding after the first rainfall in the city in months.
Star readers criticised Sheffield Council on social media after problems with deep water causing problems for traffic in parts of the city, raising concerns that drains were not cleared out as often as was needed.
Videos showed drains struggling to cope with water in the city centre, including at the West Street tram stop.
There were also reports of flash flooding on Chesterfield Road, Upwell Street, London Road and Kelham Island.
The Star today put the concerns to officials at Streets Ahead, Sheffield Council’s road’s maintenance team run with contractor Amey.
Streets Ahead said yesterday's flash flooding was caused by an exceptionally heavy downpour in a very short space of time, and its engineers worked throughout the day to clear affected areas.
They said in a statement: “This came after a long period of hot, dry weather, which left nearby grassed and landscaped areas hard and dry. As a result, less rainwater was able to soak into the ground, leading to more surface water running into roads and drainage systems.
“Rainfall of this intensity is unusual and can put significant pressure on drainage systems. While these systems are designed to cope with the vast majority of weather conditions, they can be overwhelmed when extremely large volumes of water fall in a short period of time.”
They said that the highway drainage network was maintained through a planned inspection and cleaning programme., and every year, more than half of the city's road gullies were cleaned, with the locations cleaned most often identified using inspection records and operational data.
Street Ahead added: “Areas with a history of flooding, or where there is a greater risk of blockages, receive more frequent inspections and cleaning to help keep water flowing and reduce the risk of flooding during periods of heavy rain.
“Despite these exceptional conditions, teams from Amey worked throughout the day and overnight to respond to incidents across the city. Crews provided support, cleared affected areas and carried out repairs where needed to help tackle localised flooding and restore normal service as quickly as possible.”
Sheffield was under a Environment Agency flood alert yesterday, with warnings out out near most of the city’s rivers. They have now been lifted.
It saw torrential rainfall, with more heavy rain forecast by the Met Office over the weekend.