Storm Bert brought heavy rainfall and high winds with many roads flooded and properties affected across the district on Sunday 24 November. A major incident was declared on Sunday evening in part of Yate Dodington which was particularly badly affected by flooding. There was also flooding in other parts of South Gloucestershire including Swineford, Hanham and Charfield.
Read our previous update on the flooding published 27 November 2024
Emergency response
An emergency response was led by Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) as the lead agency for water rescue, working with Avon and Somerset Police and partner agencies and we would like to thank all the emergency services for their efforts. AFRS supported by Search and Rescue Voluntary agencies called at more than 200 properties on the night.
Our Emergency Planning and Health Protection Unit coordinated the council’s major incident response. A rest centre was set up, staffed by council volunteers at Yate Leisure Centre, along with emergency transport although it was not needed and was stood down at 3am.
Recovery
We have co-ordinated a recovery process, taking over from the Response Phase led by AFRS. Our StreetCare staff have worked around the clock to clear roads, trees and debris and make sure warning signs were in place. All roads in the district were reopened by Wednesday 27 November.
Our staff door-knocked at more than 200 homes on Monday and again on Tuesday in the worst affected areas to offer support and identify what assistance was needed. They delivered letters with key information and guidance and will be returning to visit properties again next Monday (2 December) with information from Trading Standards on how to protect yourself from rogue traders who sometimes target those needing home repair services following extreme weather.
Our flooding webpage provides a wide range of information and guidance, together with a recent article published in our residents’ e-newsletter and updates across our social media channels.
Our One Stop Shops and contact centre have supported residents with sandbag requests, flooding reports, queries about disposal of flood damaged items and flood related enquiries. Skips have also been made available in the worst affected areas and Portaloos have been provided in Swineford.
Our Adult Social Care team have supported those living in the impacted area who had social care needs.
Investigation
As with all serious flooding incidents, we have a duty under the Flood and Water Management Act section 19 to investigate and produce a report that will summarise what happened, establish the cause or causes of the flooding and determine the actions needed for remediation.
Residents whose properties were flooded in the worst affected areas will be contacted as part of this investigation and asked to provide their feedback on the incident. Investigations of this kind can be complex and it will take time to complete but we anticipate being able to publish our findings in 3 to 6 months.
An internal council debrief will also be undertaken and will consider action that was taken in both the response and recovery phases.
Forecast
An amber flood alert currently remains in place across parts of the district and river levels remain high. People are advised to take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water, also to avoid using low lying footpaths and any bridges near watercourses.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the response efforts, including our parish and town councils.
