Village 'better prepared' five years after floods

A village which was devastated by floods after heavy rain five years ago is better prepared to respond if it should happen again, a volunteer warden has said.

More than 750 properties were flooded in and around Doncaster in November 2019, and Fishlake was one of the worst-hit areas.

At the height of the crisis, 90% of homes in the community were breached by dirty water and the Environment Agency issued seven "threat to life" warnings for the River Don.

Peter Trimingham said that local reaction had been "fantastic" and the number of flood wardens such as himself had risen from four to 30 since 2019.

He said 150-200 people came out to help put out sandbags when water overtopped the bank of the Don last year.

"People are aware of the threat the River Don poses.

"The village still comes under threat. We had water overbanking behind the church during the storms last year and before, so it's still a difficulty."

Since 2019, the Environment Agency has spent more than £4m on works to help prevent flooding.

A spokesperson said: "These works were completed in June 2021 and included strengthening embankments and improving the condition of existing defences.

"We know the impact that flooding has had on Fishlake and we continue to work with the community in reducing flood risk."

On 8 November 2019, a month's worth of rain fell in the region in 24 hours, flooding 1,500 buildings.

Five areas in Doncaster were placed under a severe flood warning meaning a "significant risk to life", and people were advised to leave their homes for their own safety.

The village church collected food to distribute to residents and roast dinners were delivered to many of those who had remained in their homes.

In 2021, residents came together to create a book collating their experiences and photographs from the time.

The book, called Flood: The Stories of a Village Underwater, included 85 personal stories and 350 photographs, and profits went to help those still recovering from the floods.

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