Secretary of State held a meeting with Environment
Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy this morning to discuss the
response to the flooding and ongoing plans to protect
communities.
During the meeting, the Secretary of State was briefed on the
latest situation on the ground, and the 24/7 response being led
by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. He
also sought reassurance on the actions being taken to further
protect communities in the coming days with river levels expected
to rise in some places. Together they also discussed how to
bolster the response from the Environment Agency, emergency
services and local authorities if required.
This meeting comes after Storm Bert caused significant river and
surface water flooding in parts of England over the weekend,
especially in the South West, the West Midlands, and the Calder
and Weaver Valleys in the North of England.
As of 11am on Monday 25th November, there is 1 severe flood
warning, 137 flood warnings and 172 flood alerts in place. The
Environment Agency estimates 23,400 properties have been
protected, with heavy rain leading to around 100 properties being
flooded.
Whilst Storm Bert subsides, people should remain vigilant as the
forecast shows the overall flood risk for England continues to be
medium for today, with ongoing river flooding expected.
The Government is working at pace to step up further preparations
for this winter. They are investing £2.4 billion until March 2026
to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across
the country.
Lessons learned from these floods are being fed directly
into the new
Floods Resilience Taskforce to speed up the development of
flood defences and bolster the nation's resilience to extreme
weather.
The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods
Minister with representatives from
Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment
Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices,
emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among
others.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural
Affairs, said:
This morning I held a meeting with the Environment Agency and am
receiving regular updates on the response to flooding in parts of
the country.
My sympathies are with all of those who have been impacted by
Storm Bert.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding work
that the Environment Agency and emergency responders are doing to
keep people safe.
I urge people to check their flood risk, sign up for flood
warnings and follow the latest guidance from emergency
responders.
Katharine , Flood Duty Manager at the
Environment Agency, said:
Significant river flooding impacts are expected in parts of the
Midlands and South West England today as rivers respond to heavy
rainfall following Storm Bert. Localised flooding impacts are
also possible more widely across England, which may continue in
places until Wednesday due to further heavy rain.
Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to
reduce the impact of flooding and will support local authorities
in their response.
We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people
not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is
enough to move your car.
People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood
warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at by
searching ‘check my flood risk', and follow @EnvAgency on X for
the latest flood updates.
Across the country, Environment Agency officers are working round
the clock checking flood defences, clearing debris and erecting
temporary barriers. Minor impacts are possible more widely across
England, which may continue in places until Tuesday.
We continue to monitor forecasts and impacts on water levels
across the country. We urge the public to check their flood risk,
sign up for free flood warnings and to consider the weather
before travelling.
People can check their
flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to
date with the latest situation, and follow @EnvAgency
on X for the latest flood updates.
