Flood-Affected Residents Feel ‘Vulnerable’ Amid Insufficient Support

Individuals impacted by extensive flooding earlier in the year have described the assistance they received as “upsetting,” stating it made them feel “vulnerable.” Patrick Cane of Marston and Rachael Blakey of Bucknell were significantly affected by the September flooding throughout Oxfordshire. These remarks coincide with Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC) announcement of six new initiatives aimed at flood prevention. However, Mr. Cane, whose property experienced flooding in January as well, criticized these plans, stating they were “just words at the minute.” Mr. Cane remarked, “Until we actually see something happening, it’s going to be very hard not to be waiting for the next big rain and thinking ‘what’s going to happen?'” He further stated, “It would be wonderful to see something actually happening rather than just words at this moment.” Data from University of Oxford researchers indicates that September recorded Oxford’s highest monthly rainfall since 1774, making it the second wettest month since record-keeping commenced in 1767. Ms. Blakey, whose family anticipates being displaced from their residence for six months, commented, “At the time [of the flooding] I don’t think we had the support, and that’s just continued really.” She reported that no one from OCC had contacted her since the flood event, resulting in her family feeling “really isolated, alone, and quite vulnerable.” She concluded, “Everything that we’ve been doing to remedy things have been all us – so that has been really disappointing and hasn’t made us feel particularly well looked after.” Addressing the concerns voiced by Mr. Cane and Ms. Blakey, OCC issued a statement saying: “Our response was focused on the residents rescued from their properties by the county council’s fire and rescue service, and those who suffered internal flooding and needed water pumping from their homes.” “We have been targeting the areas most vulnerable to flooding when it comes to cleaning our drainage systems, but when it comes to flood prevention, resilience and protection, there are no simple answers.” The council further stated that “everyone has a role to play” in managing flooding, including the Environment Agency and water companies. The BBC has sought comments from both the EA and Thames Water. Concurrently, OCC has unveiled six new policies designed to prevent flooding within the county. These include enhancing public communication, exploring sustainable retrofitting options for drainage systems, and assisting parish councils in plan development. Pete Sudbury, the council’s deputy leader, characterized the current situation as a “perfect storm.” The Green Party councillor stated, “Even if every single drain and every single pipe was working as best it could, we could not have stopped most of the flooding that’s happened recently.” “We’re getting weather events which are just simply beyond the design specifications of anything in the ground or anything we have.” He further noted that the council must “think about rainfall in a very different way.” “We need to think from the moment a raindrop lands, how do we slow it down or soak it up – rather than waiting for it to hit a street when it’s too late.” For further information, BBC Oxfordshire can be found on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding the BBC’s approach to external linking is available.