12 Residents Evacuated from Flooded Park Homes

Firefighters have rescued a dozen individuals from inundated park homes after a river overflowed its banks. Emergency services in Dorset responded around 09:20 GMT to Iford Bridge Residential Park in Bournemouth, where certain residents had opted to remain in their residences overnight, notwithstanding prior flood warnings. An emergency rest centre, managed by the council, has been established for these residents, alongside individuals from two additional park home locations situated along the River Stour. Further substantial rainfall is anticipated across the south of England during the night. Robbie Strudwick, a resident residing close to Iford Bridge Park, stated that numerous residents evacuated their homes overnight as the river’s water level ascended. He mentioned having relocated all possessions within his ground-floor home “out of the flood’s reach”. Navigating the water, he observed that it “was nearly 1m (3ft) at the entrance of the caravan park”. The main power supply at the residential park was disconnected at 23:30 on Monday. Residents had previously been advised to prepare for potential flooding and to pack an overnight bag. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council confirmed that some individuals had opted to remain in their residences. The Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service reported deploying a wading crew and a support vehicle to the location, resulting in the rescue of 12 people and four dogs. The council established an emergency rest centre catering to residents from Iford Bridge, Redhill and Wheatplot, and Stour residential parks. These individuals were initially accommodated at Kings Park Leisure and Learning Centre in Bournemouth, but are in the process of being relocated to Beaufort Community Centre. Andy Hadley, the council cabinet member responsible for climate response, stated: “Residents… will be able to access the rest centre where there will be further support to ensure that they have somewhere safe and warm to stay until it is safe to return to their homes.“We will continue to support residents today and in the coming days.” The flooding has also impacted roadways and amenities within the vicinity. Longham Bridge has been shut, disrupting a primary route to Ferndown, and access to Bournemouth Recycling Centre is currently unavailable, according to the council. The river’s water level is anticipated to increase further, given the forecast for additional heavy rainfall across the south of England on Tuesday night. The Environment Agency (EA) has issued a total of 15 flood warnings throughout Dorset. The agency recommended that in the event of an active flood warning, individuals should relocate their families and pets to a secure location, and move vehicles to elevated ground, provided it is safe to undertake such actions. For updates, BBC Dorset can be followed on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.