WAINFLEET: Appeal to residents to be patient in spite of light rain overnight

The chairman of Local Resilience Forum, Assistant Chief Con Shaun West, is appealing to residents to be patient regarding returning to their homes as there is still a possibility of thunder storms,

“We appreciate residents are eager to return to their homes ,” he said. "But while the threat of significant weather remains we are appealing to them to default to their current arrangements until they are told it is safe."

Agencies have been working hard over the past few days to prevent a repeat of the disaster which saw 600 households evacuated last Wednesday.

Andrew McGill chief executive of Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board (LMDB) said the LMDB pumping station at Thorpe Culvert had been at the heart of the pumping operation since the start of the crisis and had shifted around three million tonnes of water through its four pumps there.

Mr McGill said: "We've been manning it prior to heavy rainfall coming in right the way through. We are ready for what's coming over the next 48 hours as best as we can. Got a generator coming in in case the power goes down for any reason, and the panels are all checked.

"There was an unprecedented rainfall and we've known the banks have been of concern to EA and us for some time. The agency has increased its maintenance on the main channel which we've been grateful for. But there is still more to do.

"We need to work extensively over the next few weeks with EA and anything that comes from this to make sure our thoughts are heard.

"But what we need to think about now is the people whose lives have been disrupted. That's our focus, to try and get rid of this water just now, then over the coming weeks other stuff will be discussed in some detail," he said.

Regarding the anticipated fresh heavy rain over the next couple of days he said: "We are prepared; we've got good people; we've had that station manned for the last seven days around the clock; and we've got four of our other mobile pumps out - we have done for the last seven days - along the banks of the Steeping."

He said all the services involved had done a fantastic job.

"The Air Force played a blinder. If they hadn't managed to stop that water getting out all we would have been doing is running around in a circle. It was a critical part of the success to get that water stopped."

Regarding the anticipated fresh heavy rain he said: "We are prepared; we've got good people; we've had that station manned for the last seven days around the clock; and we've got four of our other mobile pumps out - we have done for the last seven days - along the banks of the Steeping."