Flood Recovery Support and Advice
Lincolnshire County Council is working with the seven district council’s to help communities recover after heavy rain brought flooding to the county on 6 and 7 January 2025.
Find support and advice > https://bit.ly/4acEPDw
Update 4: Flooding 8th January 2025
In recent days, members of the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) have been working in and with communities in response to flooding across parts of the county. As water levels start to return to normal the focus has shifted from dealing with the impact as a major incident to looking at how the LRF can provide recovery and support for those who were affected.
While we still expect to see high water levels in some areas, the situation is expected to continue to improve in coming days as water levels are dropping and no rain is forecast. Residents are still advised to keep checking flood alerts and anyone who hasn’t yet reported a flood is encouraged to do so as this will allow agencies to respond and help. This can be done via: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/flood-risk-management/report-flood
A separate multiagency group has been brought together to work on helping people to recover from flooding. Local authorities will be central to this work and will be providing information and assistance directly to impacted communities.
There are some immediate steps you can take if you have been affected by flooding:
- Take photographs of any damage – if it is safe to do so – to provide to your insurance company.
- Before you attempt to switch anything back on again, get your electric meter checked by the electricity transmission company and get your fuse box and electrical sockets checked by an electrician.
- Before you use gas appliances get a Gas Safe Engineer to check they are safe.
More information about what to do after a flood (Gov.uk).
Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer and Chair of Lincolnshire’s LRF, said: “It’s been a really challenging few days for many people in our communities and we know this is likely to continue for some time for those who have been flooded. Agencies around the county are working together now to look at offering assistance, ranging from funding to clean-up. There’s still a lot to be discussed and the focus of the group is to help people impacted to get back to normal as soon as possible.
“People in Lincolnshire have really pulled together to help and respond to flooding this week. Local community groups have implemented their Community Resilience Plans and provided much needed support and advice to impacted residents. For more information on Community Resilience Plans please visit the communities programme pages on the LRF website. http://www.lincolnshireresilienceforum.org/resilient-communities-programme/
“As an LRF we have moved away from our emergency response phase and now hand over to colleagues in Local Authorities and other agencies, who will work on the recovery phase of the multiagency response. It’s key that the public is involved in this. We need information from people in our communities about what’s happening in your local area to help us assess and react to situations, any concerns you might have, and we can also help you find information and support. Working together is key to recovering from the dreadful impact of flooding.
“We know that people might be struggling not only with the practical issues as a result of flooding but also the mental and emotional side because having your home or business damaged, or being displaced from it, will of course have an impact. There are several local services who can help and support with that, including housing, so do access them if you need to.
“I have been touched by the way people in Lincolnshire have pulled together to help one another in recent days and have worked with agencies who have been deployed in response to flooding. Community spirit and resilience has really shone through in such trying times.”
Help and support in Lincolnshire
For information on mental health please visit:
Need urgent help? :: Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust
For advice on housing and homelessness please visit:
Homelessness – City of Lincoln Council
Nomad Centre Emergency Accommodation – YMCA Lincolnshire
Already homeless? – East Lindsey District Council
Flood alerts
To view the current flood alerts get signed up at: gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings
Check for flooding near you on GOV.UK.
You can also report a flood to us, or find our what to do in a flood.
Update 3: Flooding 8th January 2025
There has been no major change in the county overnight and the situation in relation to flooding continues to improve, with water levels reducing in most areas.
Flood alerts have reduced this morning, and both Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service have had no new flooding incidents reported overnight. With no further significant rainfall forecast in coming days, it is hopeful the situation will continue to improve.
A total of 88 properties have so far been confirmed to have been flooded internally, with the most being in Boston and South Kesteven, and this number may change as reports and information continue to be gathered. We are encouraging residents to report any flooding if they haven’t already as this will help us respond and help. This can be done via www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/flood-risk-management/report-flood Agencies across the county are continuing to work together and are monitoring the situation.
While it will take some time for water levels to return to normal, we are seeing residents who left their homes start to return and planning is starting around how to help communities recover who have been impacted.
Road closures are rapidly being lifted but where they are still in place, do not drive through them – they are there to keep people safe.
Residents are still advised to take care as temperatures remain cold and will be for the next few days.
Staying safe on the roads
If you have to travel, plan and know your route and consider alternative routes if needs be.
- Leave extra space as your braking distance will be drastically increased.
- Go slow and smooth for steering, braking and accelerating.
- Select a higher gear to help with grip.
- Be extra cautious on hills which can be a particular problem in ice.
- You might want to have things packed e.g. a blanket, a warm coat, phone charger, good footwear, warning triangle, torch.
If you are heading out, get there safe.
Flood alerts
To view the current flood alerts get signed up at: gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings
Check for flooding near you on GOV.UK.
You can also report a flood to us, or find our what to do in a flood.
If you have been flooded:
- Take photographs of any damage – if it is safe to do so – to provide to your insurance company.
- Before you attempt to switch anything back on again, get your electric meter checked by the electricity transmission company and get your fuse box and electrical sockets checked by an electrician.
- Before you use gas appliances get a Gas Safe Engineer to check they are safe.
More information about what to do after a flood (Gov.uk).
Update 2: Flooding 7 January 2025
Across the county the situation is improving, with water levels reducing in most areas. Flood warnings are still in place in a number of areas across the county, although more than 20 have been removed in the last 24 hours.
It will take time for the water levels to return to normal and as water works its way through the waterways, we are continuing to monitor the situation and supporting residents in certain areas where there are still concerns.
Road closures are rapidly being lifted but where they are still in place, do not drive through them – they are there for a reason.
Temperatures are expected to fall below zero from 3pm every day until the weekend and driving conditions are likely to be challenging, so motorists are advised to drive to the conditions.
Staying safe on the roads
If you have to travel, plan and know your route and consider alternative routes if needs be.
- Leave extra space as your braking distance will be drastically increased.
- Go slow and smooth for steering, braking and accelerating.
- Select a higher gear to help with grip.
- Be extra cautious on hills which can be a particular problem in ice.
- You might want to have things packed e.g. a blanket, a warm coat, phone charger, good footwear, warning triangle, torch.
If you are heading out, get there safe.
Flood alerts
There are currently numerous flood warnings and flood alerts in Lincolnshire.
Get signed up for flood alerts: gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings
Check for flooding near you on GOV.UK.
You can also report a flood to us, or find our what to do in a flood.
If you have been flooded:
- Take photographs of any damage – if it is safe to do so – to provide to your insurance company.
- Before you attempt to switch anything back on again, get your electric meter checked by the electricity transmission company and get your fuse box and electrical sockets checked by an electrician.
- Before you use gas appliances get a Gas Safe Engineer to check they are safe.
More information about what to do after a flood (Gov.uk).
Schools
The recent weather has affected schools and school transport too.
Check the current school closures, updated daily to reflect the schools that have informed us. Please check with the school itself for the very latest information.
Due to the impact of weather some routes are closed or inaccessible for transport operators which may mean school transport is delayed or cancelled.
Update 1: Flooding 7th January 2025
The flooding risk for roads, land and properties remains as we move into the night, and there are a number of places we are keeping a close monitor on. The first is the West Glen River at Greatford, near Stamford, which is significantly above normal levels at the moment. Mapping had identified 49 properties in that area which are at risk, but we can’t say for certain what an exact number would be.
Police and crews from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are heading to that area now to be as prepared as possible to deal with any issues.
We are also keeping a really close watch on the River Steeping at Wainfleet, and at the moment, crews from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue have one pump moving flood water from the area near to the B195.
We’re asking that all residents and businesses both of those areas to monitor flood warnings so that they can take action if needed. The warnings can be found via https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings/lincolnshire.
Stay safe, and stay informed.
Flooding January 2025
We have declared a major incident in Lincolnshire in response to the adverse weather over the past few days. Emergency services have operational responses in place for a number of ongoing incidents, including multiple road closures and evacuations at a number of properties across the county as a result of flooding.
At the time of writing (18:30pm), there are 34 flood warnings and 29 flood alerts in place across the county, and we have reports of 62 properties which have been internally flooded. This number is changing all the time and we’re asking that you stay informed of whether your area is likely to be affected by keeping a watch on updated posted online, so that you can be as prepared as you can be. These updates can be found here: Lincolnshire - flood alerts and warnings - GOV.UK
We are keeping a really close watch on this as it develops because we know that there might potentially be more flooding, particularly in areas which may be affected by tidal waters. This is being monitored closely by the Environment Agency and crews from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are primed to respond if people have to be evacuated from properties; they have already helped get four households to safety in that area.
There are also 21 road closures in place across the county, and this list is being constantly updated – please check closure notices from Highways if you have to venture out to ensure you aren’t going to be caught up: Full list of Lincolnshire road closures due to recent weather – Lincolnshire County Council
We expect to see conditions worsen overnight as surface water floods and conditions on both treated and untreated roads will be very icy and pose a risk. Please consider if you need to travel, and if you do, drive to conditions. This risk extends to footpaths and there is an increased risk of slips, trips and falls. If you will be impacted by this, the NHS has advice on preparing for cold weather: Winter protection - NHS - Together We Can
