Preparation key in responding to Storm Christoph

The tireless efforts of council staff and partner agencies to keep residents safe during Storm Christoph has paid off in Bury.

Operational teams worked flat out to respond to issues in all parts of the borough, from widescale flooding in Nuttall Park in Ramsbottom and Close Park and Jubilee Mill in Radcliffe to many instances of surface water in local streets.

Thankfully there were no major incidents and residents did not need to be evacuated from their homes.

River levels are starting to drop, but there are still a number of flood alerts in place for Bury along the River Irwell: see ow.ly/3Z4I50DekHv

Staff are now out cleaning up and supporting communities affected by the storm.

Councillor David Jones, cabinet member for communities and emergency planning, said: “It’s been an incredibly busy three days and nights for our staff, and thankfully we have not had a repeat of the devastation caused by the Boxing Day floods of 2015 or even the disruption of last February.

“Our teams did a lot of preparatory work, such as clearing gullies and checking flood defences before the storm arrived, trimming trees and shrubs to avoid debris, and working with our partners in Six Town Housing and with United Utilities, the Environment Agency, police and fire service to cope with whatever was thrown at us.

“And in the midst of flooding, our teams were also out gritting the roads in anticipation of forecast ice – then had to fit the vehicles with ploughs and go back out to sweep away the sudden snow that hit us!”

Cllr Jones added: “Although the storm has now passed over, we are still dealing with the problems it brought. And a cold weather warning has also been issued for the coming days, so we need to ensure that our most vulnerable residents are safe and warm.

“This episode shows the value of preparation, and I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all our teams, and also to the resilience and patience of Bury residents who once more rode through the storm.”

For help and information, see the council’s website at www.bury.gov.uk/flooding-advice

Residents and businesses can prepare for future flood events by signing up for flood alerts at https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings

Advice on keeping warm and well: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/keep-warm-keep-well/