Fire service warning as North Staffordshire roads flooded
Firefighters are urging motorists to avoid flooded roads after North Staffordshire routes were left submerged. Yesterday's heavy downpours affected various roads around the area including across the city and the Moorlands.
While some have since cleared, the continued downpours have left a number of them under water. One such route to be shut off is a stretch of Cheadle Road near Boundary, on the outskirts of Cheadle.
One nearby resident is urging motorists to stay away. She told StokeonTrentLive: "There are signs up telling people the road is blocked at both ends but motorists are still trying to come through.
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"My concern is people ignoring the signs, and it's a long way to reverse back and some do travel at speed. Motorists have been ignoring the signs - and at the moment they really need to avoid the area."
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says motorists must avoid flood-hit roads - and not see fire crews as being there to recover vehicles. In a post on X the service wrote: "Keep out of flood water. Never risk driving through it, however safe you think it might be.
"Find a different route. If you do get stranded, call 999 and ask for the fire service. Remember: we're not a vehicle recovery service."
A yellow warning for rain will run throughout today in North Staffordshire. Tomorrow both a yellow and amber alert will be in place with the area braced for heavy downpours.
The Environment Agency says the country's overall flood risk is currently 'medium'. Sarah Cook, flood duty manager with the agency, said: "Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England. The impacts could include localised flooding in urban areas and fast responding catchments, including some property flooding as well as travel disruption. The risk from river flooding remains low.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, and ready to support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car."