Residents rescued as flooding hits Morpeth yet again

Posted by The Journal on Jul 18, 09 10:46 AM in News

Residents of Morpeth were last night bracing themselves for further chaos as the North East was battered by torrential rain.

Commuters faced heavy delays yesterday as traffic ground to a standstill, roads were closed and Metro services in Tyne and Wear were temporarily stopped.

The River Wansbeck at the back of Mitford Road, Morpeth

The swollen River Wansbeck at the back of Mitford Road, Morpeth

There were also small delays on the East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle due to localised flooding. And last night forecasters warned the wet weather would continue today with lighter showers expected until Tuesday.

They are expecting 100millimetres of rain to fall in a 36-hour period - starting from the early hours of yesterday.

With memories still fresh of families' properties ravaged by the floods in September last year, residents in Morpeth watched on nervously as the River Wansbeck rose steadily throughout yesterday.

Retired Hazel Bell, who lives on Mitford Road, was preparing for the worst by putting sandbags down. The 52-year-old said: "It is not the water coming from the river that is the problem, it comes from the road.

"The drains can't cope with it. Last year there was more water coming in from the front of the house than at the back which backs onto the river.

"One woman said she opened her front door to let the water run through from the front as it was so high.

"We are hoping it won't reach the house this time. But we are putting sandbags out just in case."

Determined to not leave anything to chance, the Morpeth Lions, which co-ordinated the voluntary response to the disaster last time, sprung into action after the Environment Agency issued a flood warning for the River Wansbeck yesterday afternoon.

A meeting point was set-up in a social club by the river, and members of the British Red Cross in Newcastle travelled up to the town.

More than 1,000 homes had to be evacuated after the Wansbeck burst its banks on September 6 and many of the residents have only just got back on their feet since the deluge.

Hundreds of families were unable to return to their homes and around 100 people are still waiting to return.

Les Sage, from the Lions, said the action was initially aimed at reassuring residents, especially elderly people living alone who had begun to panic.

He said some frightened and confused people had already left their homes, panicking that they would become trapped.

Mr Sage said: "We have called a team together and a team from the Red Cross in Newcastle visited the houses that were affected last time. Hopefully it won't be the same as last time, but for a 90 year old living alone it is very frightening. Some elderly people panicked and left their homes as soon as they had heard about the warning."

Sandbags were stacked outside homes throughout Morpeth, Howden-le-Wear and Crook, where brooks and usually tame streams threatened to burst their banks.

Flood warnings were issued yesterday by the Environment Agency urging residents to take action.

They were issued for the River Wansbeck in Morpeth, the River Wear in Durham, the Ouseburn at Woolsington , Brunton Park and Whitebridge Park, Newcastle, the River Guanless at Ramshaw Mill, County Durham, Brough Beck at Catterick, North Yorkshire, the River Esk at Ruswarp, North Yorkshire, and the River Swale at Brompton-on-Swale caravan park in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

More flooding reports from around the region »

Hazel Bell, resident of Mitford Road, Morpeth