Homes and businesses flooded after a MONTH'S worth of rain hits parts of Northumberland in 24 hours


More than a month's worth of rain fell on parts of Northumberland in just 24 hours as the area was hit by heavy flooding.

Areas of South East Northumberland were badly affected after 70mm of rain fell in just 24 hours - more than the average rainfall expected for the whole of October. Blyth Town centre was one of the areas particularly impact, with some homes and businesses experiencing flooding.

A number of businesses on Havelock Street in Blyth were closed on Wednesday after their businesses were hit, while properties in the Tallie Drive area of the town were also flooded. Many other parts of the region were similarly affected, particularly the road network, including the A1 in Durham.

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Northumberland County Council said multiple teams and their gully tankers were mobilised across the area to respond to incidents as they were reported, supported by Northumberland Fire and Rescue and partner agencies.

Residents whose homes and businesses have been affected are being supported by the council and those who require it have been provided with alternative accommodation.

Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “This was an extremely prolonged and heavy bout of rainfall and teams have been working round the clock to look after affected residents and get roads re-opened.

Havelock Street in Blyth was badly flooded
Havelock Street in Blyth was badly flooded

“I want to pay tribute to all those on the ground who have been working through some awful conditions and putting in long hours to support our communities. Once again their professionalism and commitment has shone through.

“The safety of residents remains our top priority and we are working with partners to ensure a coordinated recovery response over the coming hours and days.”

Staff from Northumbria Water have after a number of properties in the Tallie Drive area of the town suffered internal flooding.

A spokesperson for Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “Our teams attended quickly and have been on site since yesterday evening to speak directly to those impacted and provide reassurance. We continue to do everything we can to help and support our customers, alongside Northumberland County Council.

“Due to the complexity of drainage and tidal impacts at Tallie Drive we know that unfortunately this area is susceptible to flooding in heavy rainfall, as experienced in April this year.

“We are investing £4m in upgrading the sewer network at this location in order to reduce the risk of this happening again and this work should be completed by the end of the year.

“We know how devastating sewer flooding can be, and we are incredibly sorry for the disruption and damage caused to people's homes. We would like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation as we help to clean up and resolve the immediate issues.”