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Homes and businesses flooded in North Yorkshire town Water seeping through Norton flood defence wall
(about 7 hours later)
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Residents in a North Yorkshire town are cleaning up after their homes were flooded in heavy rainfall. Residents in a North Yorkshire town have been warned to move furniture and belongings upstairs after water began to seep through flood defences.
The Environment Agency said a "handful of properties" in the town of Malton had been flooded. Some residents in Norton, near Malton, said police had been knocking on their doors urging them to take action.
One resident said she had never seen the village as severely affected. The Environment Agency said the police action was a precautionary measure only.
Susie Taylor said: "We bought a house just three months before the first of the really bad floods 12 to 13 years ago, so I've seen pictures of it like this before, but this is really bad." The agency and North Yorkshire Police said there was no indication the defences would be breached.
'Time and money' Graham Reagan, from Norton, said: "We literally live opposite the bridge that joins Malton and Norton and there appears to be a lot of concern from the emergency services still at the scene, so we are moving stuff."
Another resident, Ashley Cooke, said his home had been flooded and that his newly-opened carpet shop in the town was under threat. Innes Thompson, from the Environment Agency, said: "We have a little bit of seepage which is coming through the walls. What the police are doing is very much a precautionary measure which is to ask people to take steps to protect their goods just in case."
He said: "There has been a lot of hours, time and money being put into the business with people putting all their effort into trying to rush it before Christmas, and obviously all the floods could just wash it all away." Mr Thompson said the current level of the Derwent was 16ft (4.9m) and well below the height of the defences.
A number of roads in the town and surrounding area have been closed. A £9m flood defence scheme protects residents in Malton, Old Malton and Norton from the River Derwent but excessive surface water and backed-up drains have already caused flooding in the towns.
The Environment Agency said it was continuing a pumping operation in the area in conjunction with the local council and fire service, and that surface water remained a problem. The Environment Agency said a "handful of properties" had been affected.
The agency said it was continuing to monitor the situation as more rain was predicted later over the North York Moors, and the River Derwent was expected to peak on Thursday morning. Elsewhere, the City of York Council said that it was supporting a series of measures to help residents whose homes had been affected by flooding.
More than 30 flood warnings are still in place across North Yorkshire. The River Ouse peaked in the city at just over 14ft 9in (4.5m) on Wednesday morning.
Low incomes
Elsewhere, York City Council said that it was supporting a series of measures to help residents whose homes had been affected by flooding.
The council said that people on low incomes who were not fully insured could apply for help from the York Disaster Fund charity.The council said that people on low incomes who were not fully insured could apply for help from the York Disaster Fund charity.
Other help includes benefit advice and temporary relief from council tax for people whose homes are uninhabitable and for businesses forced to close.Other help includes benefit advice and temporary relief from council tax for people whose homes are uninhabitable and for businesses forced to close.
An animal refuge in Selby has appealed for food and pet supplies after being inundated with wild animals displaced by flood water.
Selby Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation said it had received a number of hedgehogs and birds, including a tawny owl.