Disaster area

Norton, left, and Malton with the railway line running through the centre. Picture: David Harrison

The swollen river hit an all-time flooding peak in Malton and Norton early today - and the Environment Agency warned that it could be some days before levels start to subside.

The Derwent at Malton - at 19 metres deep - is now 3.5 metres higher than the average for this time of year. The figure breaks the previous highest level of 18.6 metres, which was recorded during the floods of 1931.

Downstream at Stamford Bridge, the river was expected to peak this afternoon at approaching ten metres deep, over three metres above average and breaking highest recorded level of 9.57 metres in 1947.

As heartbroken householders and businesses struggled to cope, Ryedale MP John Greenway said the Government might need to step in to help.

Mr Greenway, whose own constituency office is one of the buildings hit by flooding, said: "It's the worst disaster in most townspeople's memory. I feel so sorry for the families and businesses affected. It's so awful."

Today, experts revealed just how much rain has fallen to bring about the flooding disaster.

Since Friday, more than 150mm (six inches) of rain has fallen on the North York Moors, swelling the streams that flow into the Derwent.

The problem has been made worse by melting snow on the moors.

The impact has been felt by scores of families in Ryedale. "Over 100 properties are believed to have been flooded - 60 at Norton, five at Malton, 20 at Pickering and 25 at Old Malton," said Environment Agency spokeswoman Sarah Hyman.

"Over the weekend and throughout yesterday, Environment Agency flood response officers have been working with police and local authorities sandbagging properties and monitoring the situation from the agency's York-based flood room."

Dozens of residents have been evacuated, some by boat. Many have moved into bed and breakfast accommodation, hotels, gone to stay with relatives or gone to one of two emergency centres.

Food and beds are being provided by North Yorkshire County Council at Malton School and Norton College.

Classes at schools in the Malton area are closed for a second day.

Ms Hyman said flood warnings were issued via the Environment Agency's automatic voice messaging service, which sends a telephone message to homes at risk of flooding.

She said Environment Agency flood response officers yesterday visited the owners of properties in the Lower Derwent Valley which are not covered by flood warnings to alert them to the danger of flooding.

The Environment Agency announced last year that work on the £900,000 flood defence scheme at Stamford Bridge was being put back by two years.

The project will involve the construction of a one-metre high, brick-clad river wall with gates inserted to allow access to the river at normal times.

Responding to criticism of existing flood warning procedures in Malton and Norton, Environment Agency spokesman Paul Tullett said: "What we are seeing here has exceeded anything that we have known before."

The Environment Agency's Floodcall line can be reached on 0645 881188 for up-to-date information.

Marooned

Hundreds trapped... now the flooding threatens more villages

by Mike Laycock, Adrian Royles and Janet Hewison

Sign of the times: A police officer helps to rescue residents at the flooded camp site at Buttercrambe Road in Stamford Bridge today. Picture: Nigel Holland

Bank on me: Mark Jackson gives a helping hand to Becky Whittles as she makes her way to work at HSBC, the only bank in Stamford Bridge. Picture: Nigel Holland

A village near York was marooned today by the worst flooding disaster on the River Derwent in living memory - and other villages downstream were preparing for the worst.

Villagers in the middle of Elvington are trapped by record floodwaters that are not expected to peak until tomorrow.

One resident, Vanessa Wigley, said she had not been able to get in to work as head teacher of Oaken Grove Primary School in Haxby for two days because the main street through the village was totally cut off.

"It's amazing - it's not unusual for the river to flood but it's far higher than it's ever been since I've lived here."

And at Thorganby, Bubwith, East Cottingwith and Barmby, emergency teams from the Environment Agency were knocking on doors today, warning householders that their home are at risk of flooding later this week as the stormwaters move downstream.

"It's essential that we try to keep one step ahead," said agency spokesman Peter Holmes. "These are exceptional circumstances. This is an extreme event."

Today, experts revealed just how much rain has fallen to bring about the flooding disaster.

Since last Friday (March 5), more than 150mm (six inches) of rain has dropped on the North York Moors, swelling the streams that flow into the Derwent, with the problem made worse by melting snow on the moors.

The crisis has already caused devastation for scores of householders and businessses in the Malton and Norton area, where flood levels have now exceeded the record set in 1931, and at Stamford Bridge, where 15 properties have been flooded.

The river was expected to peak in Stamford Bridge this afternoon at almost ten metres deep, more than three metres above average and higher than the highest recorded level of 9.57 metres in 1947.

At Elvington, residents said there was still a good spirit around the village.

"Everyone seems to be taking it in good part - the kids are sailing in rubber dinghies and people are taking photographs. The council have been helping out with the sandbags," said Mrs Wigley.

City of York Council said it had provided 1,300 sandbags to the village already and today provided a four-wheel drive service for people needing to make emergency journeys.

Anyone wanting to use the service should telephone 01904 625751.

Floods fail to dampen the community spirit

by Evening Press reporters

A signalman wades through floodwater covering the railway track at Malton today. Picture: Frank Dwyer

"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going" - that's the kind of community spirit currently on show in Malton and Norton.

Officials at flood relief centres have joined with friends and family of those forced out of their homes in the race to help residents out in their hour of need.

Only three people spent the night at the centre set up at Malton School.

Meanwhile, over the river at Norton, no one needed to take up the emergency accommodation on offer at Norton College.

Michael Wilkins, head teacher at Norton College, said: "I think about five people came in to the centre yesterday.

"They had a couple who came in the afternoon. Yesterday evening, a couple more people arrived and then one man and his dog arrived for something to eat."

Mr Wilkins said: "People have friends and relatives in the area and, once they knew they were in a difficult position, they volunteered to take them in.

"But at least the centre was there as a back-up and support."

Mr Wilkins said: "The operation has been co-ordinated well from Ryedale District Council's headquarters, and they have kept us informed.

"We've also been pleased with the help the local education authority has given us in terms of getting our students in for a GCSE examination this morning."

He said special transport arrangements were laid on to ensure students could sit their mathematics exam, and the school spent part of this morning trying to contact the last remaining "stragglers".

Sheona Patterson, of North Yorkshire County Council social services, is co-ordinating the flood relief centre at Malton School.

She said: "Three people slept here overnight, but we've had more people than that coming in for something to eat or for help in finding accommodation."

Ms Patterson said: "It would appear that a lot of the people affected by flooding have friends and family who have been able to help.

"People really seem to have rallied around and helped each other."

She said: "Certainly, we were geared up to take a lot more people because we didn't know what the situation would be like overnight.

"We had catering staff and Women's Royal Voluntary Service people here overnight in case we had to take people at short notice. We had beds all set up."

Ms Patterson added: "The school have been wonderful and a lot of people have been ringing in to offer their services as well. It really has been very encouraging."

In Stamford Bridge, two police boats and the six-member water team are on hand every day until the waters subside.

The mini police station in the village is staying open beyond normal hours until 6am to offer emergency advice to worried residents. The number to ring is 01759 371222.

Meanwhile, police have blasted irresponsible parents and motorists who have ignored warnings about the flood water.

Inspector Steve Page, of Humberside Police, said: "Drivers have been ignoring road closed signs and ploughing straight on to see if they can get through. This is causing substantial difficulties.

"Also families and individuals are turning up to see the flooding but some are allowing young children to play in the flood water. This is particularly dangerous. The River Derwent is fast flowing and very deep. Underwater obstacles, even in shallow marginal water which are unseen could cause serious difficulties. The best advice is to stay away from the water."

In Malton, fire crews worked throughout yesterday and the night as the water levels rose, ferrying residents by boat and towing stranded cars to safety with a Land Rover.

More than 40 people were evacuated from their homes during the day, along with seven cats, dogs and other pets, and many more were moved out overnight.

Fire officer Gerry Faith said: "We have also been rescuing people's accounts and other documents which could get ruined by the floods. These are important things to people."

Mike Nicholson, of Mike's Carpets in the Water Lane car park in Malton, said: "We took precautions on Sunday.

"We managed to find from John Fenwick Haulage the biggest trailer he had and we filled that up with all our stock."

He said a friend, Frank Harrison, of Bruntwood Terrace, Norton, kept in touch with him by telephone as the flood waters rose yesterday to give him some idea how much time he had to remove his stock.

Mr Nicholson said: "They rang us yesterday to say it was starting to come into their kitchen.

"But about 8pm, they were saying it was rising into their lounge. At about 9.30pm last night, they said it was their last phone call because it was coming into the lounge and they were off upstairs.

"It sounded like something from the Titanic, with the water rushing in."

Telecommunications giant BT was today handing out 120 mobile phones in Malton which residents can use free of charge. BT said engineers had been on standby throughout the night to fix 78 faults reported over the last two days, but had been unable to reach cabling.

Victims must sit and wait

The remorseless River Derwent has been likened to a rapidly filling "bath with the taps on full blast" by experts at the Environment Agency.

Water levels are reported to have stabilised further upstream in Malton and Norton, but areas further south like Stamford Bridge and Elvington are bracing themselves for more floods misery as the Derwent swells further.

The agency says all people can do is sit and wait for the river to gradually make its way down to its confluence with the River Ouse at Barmby tidal barrage, near Selby.

Helen Grayson, of the agency's flood team, said: "This is all happening because of the shape of the land. It's a very shallow bowl so, although nothing's holding the water up, it just takes a long time to make its way down.

"If you were filling a bath with the taps on full blast, even with the plug pulled out it would continue to fill up. It's the same situation we have here.

"The situation is that we seem to have got a peak in Malton. It's hovering at a high level because there's just so much water about. It could be a couple of days until the waters recede.

"Having got a peak at Malton the next concern is at Stamford Bridge, where the water is still rising. Sometime later today we hope it will start to level off. But at the moment it's rising by about a quarter-of-an-inch an hour.

"We are keeping a close eye on areas further down stream, like Bubwith and Elvington."

Meanwhile, initial concern that the River Ouse could be affected by the relentless rain and the Derwent has been allayed after reports that the level of York's river has been dropping.

Matthew Welbourn, of the riverside Viking Moat House Hotel, North Street, said: "Up until the weekend there was water lapping at the bottom of our flood gates and we were a little concerned. But since then the water actually seems to have dropped."

The Environment Agency agreed that there was no immediate cause for concern regarding the Ouse.

Commuters cope with chaos

Traffic chaos caused by the floods has been hampering motorists getting in and out of York via roads to the east of the city.

The A166 through Stamford Bridge has become impassable so Pocklington police have been redirecting traffic to the A1079 York-to-Beverley road via the village of High Catton, causing queues.

PC Colin Prosser said: "People coming from the east obviously can't get through Stamford Bridge anymore, so we have been getting some congestion of Catton Lane as we try to get people down to the A1079."

Commuters in Malton are still stranded as the floods bring another watery halt to roads and rail routes out of town.

Northern Spirit were today continuing with a replacement coach service between York and Scarborough and when waters have subsided the coach service will begin to pick up in Malton.

Train services, however, will not be continuing straight away. The railway track there is still submerged. Northern Spirit said: "It is difficult to say how long the line will be closed for as the waters are at platform level in Malton and the extent of the damage cannot be assessed yet. The rocks which are used as ballast to maintain the stability of the track may well have been washed away and there is likely to be damage to signalling."

The East Yorkshire Motor Services bus routes 195 and 747 are also badly affected. The two York-to-Pocklington routes are having to make detours to avoid Elvington and Stamford Bridge respectively.

The Yorkshire Coastliner services from Leeds to Scarborough are picking up in Malton, but not in Norton, Old Malton and Eden Camp. The service to Pickering has also been diverted.

Charity offers help to cats

Cat lovers in Ryedale are offering to look after the precious pets of people forced to move out of their homes because of flooding.

Marina Dowson, co-ordinator of the Cats Protection League's Pickering and District Branch, said: "If anyone is having problems with their cats, we will take them in, feed them and look after them until it all subsides."

Mrs Dowson experienced the flooding at first hand when water from the River Derwent swept through some of the shelters in her garden off Commercial Street in Norton. She had enough warning to move four cats and some hens to higher ground.

As the flood level continued to rise yesterday, she was considering moving some goats as well.

"We took in two cats yesterday from a house in St Nicholas Street, Norton. The fire service went in there and took the people out. They've gone to stay with relatives that have dogs and the cats would not have mixed with them."

Mrs Dowson said the charity could take six more cats at its Commercial Street shelter and also had facilities in The Avenue, Norton, and at Scagglethorpe.

Anyone needing help to look after cats during the flood crisis should telephone Marina Dowson on 01653 693958; Jean & Ron Kay on 01653 693825; or Lucy Finnigan on 01944 758789.

Baker uses his loaf

Baker Stephen Shaw used his loaf as the River Derwent burst its banks and flooded his business in Norton.

Stephen, who runs The Bakery, Church Street, said: "I did not want to lose everything we had prepared on Saturday, so we came in as usual on Sunday to bake for Monday's sale."

The bakery, which is on a lower level than the adjoining Sandwich Theatre shop, was under about six inches of water by the time they finished on Sunday.

The shop and its sister outlet, the Lunchbox in Malton Market Place, were open for business as usual yesterday.

"We're not going to be able to bake for the rest of the week I would imagine. The bakery has a foot of water in it and it's still rising."

Mr Shaw, who has run the business for 18 years, said: "The most we've ever had before was about half-an-inch of water in the lowest point of the bakery a few years ago."

He added: "There will obviously have to be some repairs to the electrical side of the business before we reopen."

Mr Shaw said they did a lot of contract baking and sandwich supply work for local employers. "We're trying to contact customers to say sorry, but there isn't a great deal we can do about it."

Free mobile calls

Telecommunications giant BT was today handing out 120 mobile phones in Malton which residents can use free of charge. BT said engineers had been on standby throughout the night to fix 78 faults reported over the last two days, but had been unable to reach cabling.

Click here to read Monday's flood stories

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