Measures to prevent winter flooding urgently needed as water levels remain high

The manager of a shop in the Norfolk Broads says he has had to invest in flood defences after heavy rain and tides disrupted trade for three months.

At Latham’s of Potter Heigham, parts of the shop, car park and garden centre were under water between November last year and January.

The company has not yet quantified the impact, but manager John Goldie told the BBC that action would need to be taken before next winter.

Norfolk County Council had previously warned businesses and residents that there remained a risk of rising water levels in many parts of the county due to heavy rain in the spring and a cool summer.

Mr Goldie, who has worked at the store for 10 years, said last winter’s flooding was the worst he had ever experienced.

“We installed a dirty water pump in the store itself, which should immediately suck out the flood water as soon as it flows in,” he said.

“We have sunk another pump (in the garden centre) and laid pipes. The pump will start and automatically pump the water out and let it flow to the dam behind the store.

“We raised the levee to have more capacity there and we installed some check valves to prevent the water from coming back.

“The possibility of a return is not far off, but we will deal with it when it happens.”

Paul Rice, a volunteer flood warden for the Ant, Bure and Thurne river basins, said: “The water table is definitely rising and several agencies are trying to address some of the problems.”

“The authorities involved are showing commitment and are starting to implement things as promised at the meetings.”

“If people have watercourses running through their land, they must ensure that these watercourses are cleared regularly.

“Most landowners are good, but as I travel around the area I get the impression that some have done nothing.”

The county council said Environment Agency figures showed river levels in East Anglia were up to 172 percent of the long-term average in June as extra water was still trapped in the system.

Henry Cator, chairman of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance (NSFA), said: “For many people in Norfolk, the memory of last winter’s floods is still fresh, but because of the wet spring and summer we have experienced, we have no time to rest.”

“The risk of flooding is greater than usual this year, so homeowners cannot afford to wait until fall to prepare.”

“We all need to start thinking, planning and acting now to keep our properties safe and dry this winter.”

It is recommended to keep ditches and drains clear and to use rain barrels as additional storage capacity to prevent flooding.