Mayor's Thanks After Rescue and Recovery Effort Aids Flood-Hit Communities
Mayor Dave Hodgson offered his thanks to all members of the emergency services, council staff and volunteers who assisted this week as local communities were hit by flooding. As an extraordinary amount of rain fell on Wednesday, the villages of Riseley and Dean were hit extremely hard, and a coordinated effort to assist those flooded and at risk of flooding took place.
The fire service reported that six Fire Officers, twenty-five Firefighters and two ancillary staff were deploy across North Bedfordshire in five fire engines, the Rescue Support Unit, Special Rescue Unit, the Operation Support Unit and the Fire Service's Flood Rescue Boat from Harrold during the afternoon to rescue people, provide protection for key infrastructure and pump out flooded properties across North Bedfordshire.
The operations included the rescue of a woman and a child trapped by flood waters in Upper Dean and the rescue of an elderly woman from her flood-hit home in Riseley.
Following the flooding Council teams worked overnight to remove water from roads in the borough, and extensive efforts were made in sweeping roads in a number of areas to clear them of any remaining water and silt.
Officers from the flood response team worked with residents in homes affected by the flooding.
An emergency rest centre was opened at Riseley Police Station on Wednesday for several people whose homes were affected by flood waters. Sharnbrook Upper School also assisted, providing a sports hall for use as an additional rest centre in case conditions deteriorated, but fortunately this wasn't required.
Commenting on Facebook on Wednesday evening, Mayor Dave Hodgson paid tribute to those who had helped in the effort: "Huge thanks to all Emergency Services staff, Council officers and all who have been out today assisting those who have been flooded and at risk of flooding."
You can find information and flooding advice on the website of the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum here: www.bllrf.org.uk/home/.