Newport Pagnell’s Flood Action Group Formed After Christmas 2020 Deluge

Volunteer flood wardens are increasingly recognized as a “vital” component in both preparing for and reacting to flood events, according to the Environment Agency. Newport Pagnell, a town situated near Milton Keynes, established a flood action group following the inundation caused when the River Ouzel overflowed its banks on Christmas Eve 2020. In the days preceding this event, the region experienced nearly twice the anticipated volume of rainfall. This led to water emerging from sewers, road closures, and damage to several residences. Currently, whenever flooding occurs or is anticipated, the group’s members are present in the streets, alerting residents, closing roads, and distributing flood barriers, frequently before emergency services or the local council can intervene. The Environment Agency indicated its intention to collaborate with other flood groups, noting that approximately one in four homes could face flood risks by the year 2050. Richard Ayres confessed to experiencing “middle-of-the-night” anxieties concerning rising floodwaters. On Christmas Eve 2020, he spent his time defrosting the freezer in his Newport Pagnell flat after waist-high flooding caused a power outage. He recounted that water had “backed up and caused an eruption” from a manhole. “It was shocking to see – the speed the water came up once that [manhole] had actually breached,” he stated. The water accumulated and then “found the next weakest point, which was another manhole – that then went.” Ultimately, three manholes were “pouring essentially sewage straight into our car park.” While the flats themselves, being elevated, were spared, two vehicles sustained water damage. Mr. Ayres, 46, has resided in the building overlooking the River Ouzel for 18 years. Despite expecting some flooding due to his proximity to the river, he did not foresee the “frequency and severity” of the events or the involvement of sewer water. Since the Christmas Eve floods, he has joined the town’s flood group and taken on the role of a volunteer flood warden. He mentioned that the town experienced significant flooding in January, February, and September 2024, and the group functions as an “early warning” system. “We let each other know how quickly it’s rising, whether we think people are going to be affected, whether we should start taking precautions,” he explained. David Adams, another participant in the flood group, has engaged in fishing in the River Ouzel for over five decades. The river supports species such as pike, roach, and perch, but Mr. Adams, 72, observed a change in how the river responds to rainfall. He noted that, unlike 30 years ago, it now rises more rapidly and reaches higher peaks. During a visit in the days following Storm Darragh, the river was flowing swiftly and was in a state of flood. “This is ridiculous,” he remarked while observing the water, “we’ve had about an inch and a quarter of rain gradually over three or four days.” Utilizing publicly available online data, Mr. Adams, a retired housing association finance director, monitors sluice gates and pumping stations throughout the catchment area of the Ouzel and the nearby River Great Ouse, into which the Ouzel flows. “As soon as it starts raining, I start looking,” he stated. He recalled monitoring a “surge of about six feet of water” in September, which he described as “frightening.” He added, “It put the [pumping] station at the top end of Newport at record levels, and the poor people down Sherington Road – they were just under water.” Chris Holroyde, the group’s chair, indicated that the Christmas Eve floods caught many “on the hop,” leading to confusion regarding who to contact for sandbags and information on road closures. The 68-year-old, along with other flood wardens, has also contributed to developing the town’s community flood plan and securing funding for items like temporary flood barriers. Mr. Holroyde expressed a “great deal of concern” about future prospects, particularly as “so much more flooding seems to be taking place.” He further stated that a long-term objective of the group is to “work out how we try and at least mitigate as much as we can.” Liberal Democrat Jane Carr, who represents the area on Milton Keynes City Council, proposed the formation of a flood group for the town after the Christmas Eve floods. At that time, she noted a lack of “coordination.” “We didn’t really have an idea of who could do what and when and how,” she commented. However, she now believes the group provides “community support.” She affirmed, “It’s making sure people know where to come and who to talk to, so that we can actually get people the support they need.” Emily Beasley, an operations manager with the Environment Agency, mentioned that her colleagues convene with the Newport Pagnell flood group every three months to discuss strategies to “make the community as resilient as possible.” She affirmed that the Environment Agency was “really up and open” to collaborating with other flood action groups. “It’s so important to be as aware and prepared as possible for a flood event and the local flood groups are vital in getting those messages to the communities,” she emphasized. She also advised individuals to register for flood warnings and flood alerts, which deliver flood-related information via email and text message, and to formulate their own flood plans. Mrs. Beasley stated that climate change is causing “intense rainfall” that occurs “very quickly.” She added, “It is what we should expect for the future. So we will likely see more flooding.” The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that increased heavy rainfall is a consequence of a warmer Earth, as a warmer atmosphere can retain more moisture. For each 1C increase in global warming, the atmosphere’s water-holding capacity rises by approximately 7%. In 2023, the Earth was reported to be nearly 1.5C warmer than it was between 1850 and 1900. Researchers at ClimaMeter indicated that storms such as Darragh were up to 10% wetter than previous occurrences due to “human-driven climate change.” For news from Beds, Herts, and Bucks, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.