Environment Agency bosses have said flood defences in Greater Manchester worked ‘as required’ despite mass flooding in the region leading to a ‘major incident’ being declared on New Year’s Day.
More than 1,300 people were evacuated after heavy rain saw flooding in Didsbury, Stockport, Trafford, and Wigan. Properties were wrecked and infrastructure damaged as the floodwater wreaked havoc across Greater Manchester – with around 2,800 properties left without power and a number of major roads closed.
The Environment Agency has told the Manchester Evening News that its flood defences acted as required, adding that the River Mersey reached record levels of 66cm. A spokesperson said the agency had been ‘working around the clock over the New Year’ in order to operate the defences and assist communities.
People living in Trafford told the Manchester Evening News the flooding was ‘unlike anything’ they had seen in previous years. They said water levels rose so rapidly on New Year’s Day they were left with no time to initiate flooding procedures.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Environment Agency teams have been working around the clock over the New Year, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected, including in Greater Manchester.
“More broadly, we are delivering a long-term funding programme of flood defences, investing over £1.25 billion this year to scale up national resilience through building new and improving existing flood defences.
“We know providing the nation with the best available information on flood risk is vital to ensuring that policy makers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to flooding.”