Devastated residents have shared images of their damaged homes after several roads were hit by flooding
Flooding in Halsall Lane in Ormskirk
People living in quiet residential streets in a historic market town woke up to a New Year’s Day ‘nightmare’ after their properties flooded following a relentless night of rain. People living in Halsall Lane, Brighouse Close and Sanfield Close and surrounding areas in Ormskirk are dealing with the after effects of flooding caused by rising river levels today.
Videos posted on social media show torrents of water running down Halsall Lane last night while images taken today show the road heavily flooded and closed off by police at its junction with Southport Road.A number of people have posted on social media to say their houses have been damaged by the flooding.
One woman shared images of rising water in her garden which has made its way into her house. She said: “Well…happy new year. My house is flooded on Brighouse Close, anyone else?” Another woman, who lives in Halsall Lane, shared a picture of flooding around her washing machine and fridge and said: “Lived here for over 30 years and never flooded before – it is still rising.”
One local resident who spoke to the ECHO said: “It’s a nightmare, the rain last night was relentless and we’ve woken up this morning to find the junction shut, police have cordoned off the road and there’s just water everywhere. I think a pipe must have burst or the drains just couldn’t handle it all. This is one of the biggest junctions in the town so it’s a massive pain for traffic as well. Happy new year eh?”
Heavy flooding in Halsall Lane, Ormskirk
The government issued a flood warning through the night for the area, which remains in place. It states: “Rising river levels are expected to cause flooding overnight. Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the Sandy Brook and Hurlston Brook. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one. Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.”
The flood warning area includes: “Altys Lane, Statham Lane, Brook Lane, Dyers Lane, the Tennis Club, Hallsall Lane, Cottage Lane, Asmall Lane, The Reeds, Cotton Drive, Brookhouse Road, Sanfield Close, Southport Road, Courtfield and Hurlston Drive.”
An update from Ormskirk and Rural West Lancashire Police said: “We want to update you and let you know that we’re experiencing flooding in Ormskirk. Because of this we’ve had to close Halsall Lane at the junction with County Road.
“We hope that the weather will clear soon but we’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening. If you need to report anything to us then you can do so on 101 or if someone is in immediate danger, then 999 is your line.”
Several busy roads have been closed in and around Merseyside today. A yellow weather warning for rain is in place in parts of the region, while an amber warning, covering parts of the North West of England, has been issued.