Warrington flooding update as Amber weather warning for more rain over next 48 hours

RESIDENTS are being warned to be extra careful with flooding impacting various parts of Warrington enforcing road closures and breaching properties, with an Amber weather warning for more rain.

Warrington Borough Council has issued a warning to residents to be extra careful with more heavy rain expected for the next 48 hours and there is an Amber Met Office Weather Warning for rain. This weather warning affects most of the North West of England.
In Warrington, some community areas have already been affected by flooding with highways closed and some properties breached. Please take additional care if you are driving around the borough and be mindful that you should not attempt to drive through clearly flooding highways.
Officers are on-site at locations across the borough, alongside partners, to provide support to affected residents.
River levels are rising as a result of heavy rainfall and will remain high until Friday. These spells of prolonged and heavy rain may lead to further flooding and disruption in parts of Warrington.
As at 5.30pm today, Wednesday 20 January, there are some localities that may be at significant risk of flooding, or further flooding, including:
·Burford Lane
·Charter Avenue
·Clay Lane
·Cromwell Avenue (Sankey Brook water level is high, causing flooding to footpath under Cromwell Ave)
·Dam Lane, Croft remains closed due to carriageway flooding (Cockshot Brook)
·Densham Avenue – there is surface flooding to the road/footway and to a number of gardens, with risks to properties being flooded – temporary pumps are currently in situ, trying to pump as much water as possible out of the area
·Grant Close
·Haley Road carriageway
·Hawleys Lane remains closed at the bridge
·Higham Avenue
·Hollins Lane, which is flooded
·Hood Lane
·Jubilee Hub, with flooding to the car park area
·Liverpool Road is closed at Sankey Bridges, with reports of properties being breached
·Lord Street, Croft
·Reddish Lane, Heatley (Lymm) – with projected water levels at Bollington (Heatley) set to be significantly higher than previously experienced.
·Southworth Avenue, Sankey Brook
·Tavline Avenue
·Warrington Lane, Lymm, which remains closed due to flooding on the carriageway (water from surrounding fields)
·Widnes Road, outside the power station, which is down to one lane
Please note that there may be other highways and areas affected by flooding. We will continue to provide updates on affected localities through our website at warrington.gov.uk/flooding-alert-january-2021
Sandbags have been distributed to addresses at areas of concern and there are other preventative works, such as pumps, at some locations. The council’s highways team is currently out visiting flooding hotspots and providing advice in a COVID-secure way, including making door-to-door visits where appropriate. We are in constant contact with our partners including Torus and the Environment Agency (EA).
Keep your property safe from flooding
Flooding presents a real risk to you. If your property is flooded and you need to evacuate, or if you are instructed by the council or emergency services to leave your property, please do so. If you are concerned about your property flooding, there are a number of steps you can take. You can:
Check flood risks and the current situation by signing up for free flood warnings via the Environment Agency Flood Information Services
Familiarise yourself with the isolation points for water, gas and electricity for your property
Contact the council on 01925 443322 if you are concerned that your property will be flooded. We can provide sand bags and advise on how to protect your property.
If your property is at immediate risk of flooding, or is breached
You should also ensure that if there is an immediate risk of your house becoming flooded, you:
Speak to your home insurer about arrangements if you need to leave your property – your insurers should be able to provide advice, support and guidance if you need to leave your home
Speak to your landlord if you are a tenant at a rented or social housing property
Take valuable items upstairs, including electrical items
Disconnect any other electrical items
If you are able to, raise any furniture or move it upstairs
Bring caged outdoor pets inside, and move all pets with food, water, bedding and litter trays upstairs
The current flooding issue is a significant problem for the entire region, not just Warrington, and councils and their partners are providing as much support and cover as possible. The current coronavirus pandemic also means that services are currently very stretched, so please ensure that you look after yourself and your families if you are concerned that your property is under threat of being flooded.
Stay COVID-secure
If you need to leave your property to seek shelter with friends and family, you should follow the COVID-secure basics of trying to keep your distance, washing your hands and wear a face covering where necessary. If possible, stay in separate rooms and minimise the use of communal areas, wiping down after each other any commonly touched items, such as door handles and toilet flushers. Ensure that you have as much ventilation as possible.
Please note that only people in properties that have been breached or are at significant risk of being breached, should consider staying with other households. Please also avoid staying with people who may have coronavirus symptoms, are self-isolating, who are high risk or are clinically extremely vulnerable.
For more information about the current coronavirus restrictions, please visit warrington.gov.uk/coronavirus
For the latest local floor warnings visit:
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/flooding-alert-january-2021
Or:
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings

Please be aware that due the flooding from storm Christoph Road closures are in place Old Liverpool Road. Police Fire and WBC are all assisting on scene pic.twitter.com/9BXvsZxLqB

— Great Sankey North Police (@GtSankeyNthPol) January 20, 2021

Smithy Brow is currently closed at the junction with Dam Lane and travelling from Culcheth at the Horseshoe PH. This is due to food water and flooded homes. Avoid the area at all costs #RoadClosed pic.twitter.com/AN41NhEEyV

— Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft Police (@CulGburyCrofPol) January 20, 2021