Grange local

Floods hit Furness

Last updated at 10:32, Thursday, 05 November 2009

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HEAVY rainfall caused disruption across South Cumbria yesterday as emergency crews battled to clear flooded roads.

Tailbacks caused problems at Newby Bridge, Lindal, Kirkby, Swarthmoor and Haverthwaite as sections of the A590 and A595 were reduced to one lane because of flash flooding.

Fire crews were working almost at full capacity to deal with 10 flooded properties in Askam, Dalton and Ulverston.

Barrow fire station manager John Griffiths said: “These areas have been struck particularly hard by the flash flooding. It’s that time of year when drains get blocked with leaves and as the rain falls down it’s not able to drain off into the main drain. A storm drain in Dalton caused problems because of the sheer volume, in that case water was running through the drains that couldn’t handle it, and it has backed up and started coming up through the drains and people’s floors.”

One home in Garden Lea, Dalton, was badly flooded, but fire crews prevented the water from flooding into six adjoining properties.

Mr Griffiths said: “In Dalton we went back up the drain and started pumping out the river and putting it into the surface drains to remove the pressure from the storm drain.”

Windermere Road in Grange has been a flood hotspot in previous years. But Grange town, district and county councillor Bill Wearing, said so far the drains have coped with the heavy rain.

He said: “A lot of the problems in the area have been caused by blockages and overflow of the drains but thankfully so far this road has managed to cope. We’ve been out keeping an eye on the situation and another resident cleared the drains of leaves in advance.”

Cumbria police supervised traffic flow as motorists drove slowly through the flooded highways.

Inspector Mike O’Hagan said: “The problems were right across the county, particularly anywhere near a lake. It was the intensity of the weather and the flash flooding that caused problems at numerous locations.”

Further rain has been forecast for the coming week.