The big clean-up after the floods

A City of York Council workman hoses down cobbles at King’s Staith in York after the river level fell A City of York Council workman hoses down cobbles at King’s Staith in York after the river level fell

MONTHS of rain have left parts of our region with the highest levels of ground water since records began.

As council workers use high pressure hoses to clear silt from York’s flood-hit riverside quay and pathways, the Environment Agency said the region would need months of dry weather to allow excess ground water to drain away.

In Ryedale, more than 600mm of rain fell between September and December, pushing river and groundwater to the highest levels since records began.

The amount of rainfall was nearly double the normal amount for this period.

A team has been working throughout Christmas and New Year to protect properties from flooding as water levels peaked at a level similar to those of November 2000 when more than 215 properties flooded in Ryedale.

Supt Glyn Payne, co-ordinator of the Silver Command Team, said: “The efforts of all agencies continues to be phenomenal to ensure that people throughout Ryedale can continue life as normal despite water levels reaching highest ever recorded.”

Roger Ransom, assistant director at City of York Council, said: “Thankfully the River Ouse and Foss didn’t rise to the levels we experienced in September/November 2012, however front-line teams were on standby to work round the clock to protect residents, tourists and businesses over the Christmas and the New Year period.

“We’d like to thank everyone for their support last year and our priority remains the same for 2013, to keep York open for business and support our partners in promoting the city as a world-class business and tourist destination.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency (EA) said the deluges meant that springs which had not been seen for decades were appearing again in North Yorkshire.

There is hope, however from the Met Office, which said our region was unlikely to see any more significant rainfall this month.

A spokesman said the damp, mild weather would give way to clear but colder periods and that was likely to last into February.

Comments(14)

greenmonkey says...
10:59am Wed 9 Jan 13

Hosing the cobbles is one thing, but a snow plough or man with a shovel would be better than the mess they made on parts of New Walk, with mud sploshed everywhere including back onto the path.

pedalling paul says...
11:02am Wed 9 Jan 13

Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........

capt spaulding says...
11:44am Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........
It must be quite something to live in a one dimensional world.

bob the builder says...
11:49am Wed 9 Jan 13

Waste of time and money, the river will be back over it later this month looking at the long term forecasts. It'll be like Waterworld by Easter, and the man with a boat will be king.

willo the wisp says...
12:20pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Good grief you lot, you moan when they clean up the mess and you'd moan if they didn't, get a life.

Whilst there is a good chance we may be flooded out again they have a responsibility to keep the city clean.

Well done guys, crack on :)

keepitshut says...
12:26pm Wed 9 Jan 13

willo the wisp wrote:
Good grief you lot, you moan when they clean up the mess and you'd moan if they didn't, get a life. Whilst there is a good chance we may be flooded out again they have a responsibility to keep the city clean. Well done guys, crack on :)
Well said................

Willy Eckerslike says...
12:31pm Wed 9 Jan 13

greenmonkey says...
10:59am Wed 9 Jan 13

Hosing the cobbles is one thing, but a snow plough or man with a shovel would be better than the mess they made on parts of New Walk, with mud sploshed everywhere including back onto the path.”

Yes, a snow plough will fit nicely between all those bollards won't it, and it will be really easy for in to turn round on the riverside paths,
"stupid comment as usual"

Keeet Lemon says...
3:05pm Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........
You mean your tongue , that's when it's not firmly up the coyc ****!

Big Bad Wolf says...
3:08pm Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........
clown

YorkPatrol says...
3:11pm Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........
D ICK

Podlet says...
3:48pm Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Hopefully CoYC's super cycle path cleaning machine will be fully committed on the riverside and adjoining cycle paths...........
Sarcastic - and ironically amusing too.

pedalling paul says...
4:35pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Wow....just returned from an exhilarating bike ride from town, and five bites already!

Paul Meoff says...
6:44pm Wed 9 Jan 13

pedalling paul wrote:
Wow....just returned from an exhilarating bike ride from town, and five bites already!
Looks like some hilarious comedian took 3 minutes to comment, logout and login again under a different id. Twice!

Podlet says...
9:18am Thu 10 Jan 13

Hey PP, mine wasn't a bite - not even a nibble.

Please tell me it was sarcasm, because if you were being serious, my opinion of you will plummet.

click2find

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