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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/01/uk-weather-homes-evacuated-floods-hit-north-of-england
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Peak District town evacuated as dam threatens to burst | Peak District town evacuated as dam threatens to burst |
(32 minutes later) | |
Residents of a Peak District town are being evacuated because of concerns that a reservoir above it may be about to burst. | |
Police told residents of Whaley Bridge to head to a local school due to “an unprecedented, fast-moving, emergency situation” caused by heavy downpours. | |
Toddbrook reservoir – which contains around 1.3 million tonnes of water – suffered extensive damage during the flooding on Thursday, with images showing a huge hole in the dam wall. | |
The Environment Agency issued a “danger to life” warning covering the River Goyt, as the river could “rise rapidly” owing to water rushing in from the reservoir. | |
Residents were told to make arrangements to stay with friends or family “for a number of days”. | |
Officers from Derbyshire police were on the scene along with the local fire and rescue service, mountain rescue and ambulance services and Environment Agency staff. | |
Firefighters deployed from across the country were using at least 10 high volume pumps to reduce water in the reservoir, with engineers trying to drain the reservoir into the nearby river. | |
However, the Met Office issued a warning that heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in the area on Thursday evening, which will complicate efforts to protect the weakened structure. | |
Flood risk maps showed that if the dam burst it could leave parts of Whaley Bridge and many areas downstream along the river under as much as two metres of water. | |
“There is a high probability that there will be significant flooding due to damage caused in recent severe weather,” a Derbyshire police spokesperson said. “We understand that there will be some concern around not being able to return home, however, our priority is to ensure people are kept safe and well and are not taking unnecessary risks. | |
“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and we appreciate that there is significant impact on this community, however, this is an unprecedented, fast-moving, emergency situation.” | “This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and we appreciate that there is significant impact on this community, however, this is an unprecedented, fast-moving, emergency situation.” |
Whaley Bridge is a thriving town right on the edge of the Peak District and part of the Dark Peak. It is bisected by the Goyt, which runs down from Buxton and towards Stockport. | |
Built in 1831, the Toddbrook reservoir sits high above the town, which has a number of pubs, restaurants, a bakery and two chip shops, as well as a primary school and cricket club. | |
If the dam bursts, it may not only be Whaley Bridge under threat, but also the neighbouring settlements of Buxworth and Taxal, and potentially other villages and towns further down the Goyt valley. | If the dam bursts, it may not only be Whaley Bridge under threat, but also the neighbouring settlements of Buxworth and Taxal, and potentially other villages and towns further down the Goyt valley. |
Whaley Bridge evacuees were told to make their way to Chapel high school, several miles away in the neighbouring town of Chapel-en-le-Frith, where police officers and emergency workers would provide further direction. | |
“Residents are asked to make alternative arrangements to stay with friends and family, ensure that any pets are taken with them and that all medication that may be needed for a number of days is taken with them,” police said. “If people do not have somewhere to go then they will be accommodated, however, there is limited capacity to do so.” | |
Among the residents taking sanctuary at Chapel high school was Tony Gunner, who runs the Goyt Inn, just off Whaley Bridge’s main street, with his partner, Jennifer Grant.Gunner was very reluctant to leave the pub after police told him to evacuate. “ninety per cent of me wanted to stay put. It’s my pub, my beer – my baby. We’ve had it the pub for 11 years now and I didn’t want to go.”But Grant insisted he leave, bringing with him their staffie, Chaos. Earlier in the day, the GP’s surgery where Grant works in Whaley Bridge had been told to shut and get patients to a sister surgery up the road to Chapel-en-le-Frith, so she had an early inkling how serious things were.But it was only on her return to Whaley that she realised the extent of the danger facing the town when police would not let her through: “I was quite scared, so I phoned Tony and told him to get the dog and leave straight away.”Julie and John Tyndall live on Market Street, Whaley Bridge’s main thoroughfare. They heard helicopters whirring on Thursday morning and were shocked to be told by police to get out. Julie looked outside: “It was like a ghost town. I grabbed the dog, got our medication and left.” | |
John was sanguine about what lies ahead: “We’re insured for flooding, we will be OK.” But Julie was shocked by the police’s admission that they may not be able to return for several days. “We can’t stay here for two days,” she said. | |
The Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning for the area just before 2pm amid concern over damage to an earth dam on the town side of the Toddbrook reservoir, where a concrete spillway is designed to take excess water into the Goyt. On Wednesday evening torrents of water had flowed straight over the barrier “like Niagara Falls”, according to witnesses. Waters subsided slightly on Thursday morning, revealing significant damage to the spillway. | |
Such earth embankment dams are at serious risk of being quickly washed away if the concrete spillways that protect them are damaged, according to Mohammad Heidarzadeh, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Brunel University London. | Such earth embankment dams are at serious risk of being quickly washed away if the concrete spillways that protect them are damaged, according to Mohammad Heidarzadeh, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Brunel University London. |
“In embankment dams, spillways are extremely important because they prevent embankment dams from overtopping,” he said. “Due to heavy rainfall in the Whaley Bridge area, the spillway is now broken and a big chunk of its concrete structure is damaged. There is a possibility that the spillway could then become fully broken in a few hours. If the spillway is fully gone, the embankment dam will be washed away very rapidly, which could cause a massive flood.” | “In embankment dams, spillways are extremely important because they prevent embankment dams from overtopping,” he said. “Due to heavy rainfall in the Whaley Bridge area, the spillway is now broken and a big chunk of its concrete structure is damaged. There is a possibility that the spillway could then become fully broken in a few hours. If the spillway is fully gone, the embankment dam will be washed away very rapidly, which could cause a massive flood.” |
Chris Gay, the commodore of the Toddbrook sailing club, which sails on the reservoir, said: “If you were there last night, it was just like Niagara falls. That’s obviously eroded the earth from behind the concrete slabs.” | |
Edwina Currie, the former Conservative MP, also lives in the town. She told the BBC: “Evacuation is absolutely necessary. I don’t think they’ve got any choice. People are being advised not to take pictures. We are really very, very worried. | Edwina Currie, the former Conservative MP, also lives in the town. She told the BBC: “Evacuation is absolutely necessary. I don’t think they’ve got any choice. People are being advised not to take pictures. We are really very, very worried. |
“People are being advised – wisely – not to take any risk there. We’ve had people wandering around trying to take pictures. Please don’t. It’s not really very safe at the moment.” | “People are being advised – wisely – not to take any risk there. We’ve had people wandering around trying to take pictures. Please don’t. It’s not really very safe at the moment.” |
Wednesday’s downpours caused chaos across the north of England. A major incident was declared late on Wednesday evening in Poynton, Cheshire, where thunderstorms and downpours forced drivers to abandon their vehicles and caused damage to property. The wet weather also caused rail disruption on the line between Manchester airport and Wilmslow early on Thursday. | |
Poynton fire station said its crews had attended more than 20 incidents, rescuing at least 11 people from flood waters in a four-hour period. | |
Police in nearby Wilmslow said officers were dealing with flooding and had evacuated homes, with Oakenclough children’s centre open as a rest centre. | Police in nearby Wilmslow said officers were dealing with flooding and had evacuated homes, with Oakenclough children’s centre open as a rest centre. |
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