Homes still at risk as waters keep on rising

Heavy rain that caused flooding of homes and chaos on the transport network eased yesterday but some communities were warned they are still at risk from high river levels.

Floodwaters returned to low-lying parts of Peebles in the 
Borders, and Scottish Borders Council warned that Eddleston Water could overflow.

Scottish Borders Council staff were in the area yesterday to help anyone in need of assistance due to the rising water.

Thick sea foam caused by storm-force winds whipping up the sea’s surface, which affected parts of Scotland’s north-east coast on Tuesday, had disappeared yesterday.

Across the UK, some 400 homes and businesses have been flooded in the most intense 
September storm for 30 years.

Residents of a block of townhouses in Newburn, Newcastle, were among those facing a second night out of their homes after floodwaters gouged out the ground beneath the building, which remains cordoned off.

Businesses were also damaged and looters broke into KB Cycles in Newburn and stole bikes worth tens of thousands of pounds while roads were blocked by water and silt.

Some areas have seen more than double the average rainfall for the month since Sunday and, although the worst of the rain has now passed, river levels in some places were still rising as the water comes down through the system.

There were still more than 50 warnings of river flooding in place last night, mostly in northern England, and 100 less serious flood alerts.

The Environment Agency said rivers such as the Ouse, which flows through York, and the Dane, which flows through Crewe, Nantwich and Northwich, had yet to peak and posed a real risk of flooding.

Rivers including the Weaver, Wharfe, Aire and Ure were being monitored, with high water 
levels threatening to cause flooding.