PRESS RELEASE : Environment Agency continues to urge caution following recent flooding [January 2025]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 10 January 2025.
The Environment Agency is continuing to urge people to remain vigilant following the recent flooding, as, while there is an improving picture, combined rainfall and snowmelt could see river flooding continue in some parts of the country.
Minor flooding along the River Trent is expected to continue on Friday, while new impacts are possible but not expected along rivers in parts of the Yorkshire and the Humber regions on Monday and Tuesday.
People in affected areas should follow advice from emergency services and take caution, particularly while travelling.
Environment Agency teams remain on the ground supporting the public and are still operating flood defences and basins to manage possible impacts.
As of 10:15 on Friday 10 January, there are 24 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 72 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, live across the country.
Heavy rainfall over the New Year also saw significant river flooding across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Yorkshire, with the highest river levels on record being reached on the Mersey in Stockport and South Manchester. In total, more than 77,000 properties have been protected from flooding and approximately 1,400 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed visited Quorn in Leicestershire on Thursday afternoon to see first-hand the impact of recent flooding and meet with Environment Agency teams who are leading on the response.
Alongside Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy, he spoke with responders who have been out on the ground, operating flood defences, issuing flood warnings and supporting the community.
The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:
My thoughts go out to all those homes, businesses and farms that have been flooded in recent days, including those in Leicestershire.
I pay tribute to the emergency services and first responders across the region for their tireless work around the clock to keep communities safe.
There is much more work needed to be done to protect homes, including those in Quorn. That is why we are investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences, protecting homes and businesses across the country.
Daniel Bond, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
Minor river flooding is expected to continue along the River Trent today, while combined rainfall and snowmelt means there is a very low likelihood of minor river flooding across parts of the Yorkshire and Humber region on Monday and into Tuesday.
Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.
We urge people to remain vigilant over the next few days, advise anyone travelling to be careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
People should search check my flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up to date with the latest situation at @EnvAgency on X.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy has met with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy to discuss the nation’s response to the recent flooding events. During the meeting, the Floods Minister was briefed on the current situation on the ground, and the response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. Together, they discussed how to continue to support the collective efforts of the Environment Agency, emergency services, and local authorities in responding to flooding.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
I have met with the Environment Agency about the ongoing flooding and my sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.
This Government is working at pace to accelerate the building of flood defences through our new Floods Resilience Taskforce and investing £2.4 billion, so we can continue to protect people and their homes.
Lessons learned from these floods will be 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 Minister Hardy 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.
