Storm Henk: More Lincolnshire homes flooded

More than 100 properties have been flooded in Lincolnshire in the aftermath of Storm Henk.

Emergency planners said they were expecting more homes would be affected as the rainfall works its way through the county's water systems.

More than 30 flood warnings still remained in place, the Environment Agency said.

Some residents in Greatford, near Stamford, spent the night in a rest centre and others stayed with friends.

Two people had to be rescued from their home in the village by firefighters using a boat.

Lois Webb, 79, one of those rescued, said she had lived in Greatford for more than 50 years and it was the first time her home had been flooded.

"The road was just like a river raging through with muddy coloured water," she said.

"You could hardly get across the road, it was so powerful."

Ms Webb said people in the village had rallied round to support those forced out of their homes.

Ian Reed, Lincolnshire County Council's head of emergency planning, said 109 homes were known to have been flooded internally, a number he said was "expected to rise".

He said: "Most of our efforts are around Tallington and Greatford at present.

"Overnight we are expecting some more rain, unfortunately, in the south and the east of the county. Falling on already saturated ground, we should expect to see more problems."

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had made a number of "assisted rescues" during the night. The service said it only had one high-volume flood pump, meaning it was having to prioritise its efforts in the worst-hit areas.

Chief Fire Officer Mark Baxter said 29 homes in Greatford had flooded.

He said saturated land around in the area had also made removing the water difficult and what was needed was "a natural receding of the water".

"There isn't anywhere else we can move the water to," he said.

"Unfortunately the nature of where the village is [means] there is limited work we can do in regards to pumping out."

Almost a month's worth of rainfall was believed to have fallen in the county in recent days as Storm Henk swept across the UK.

One resident, Natalie, said the water levels remained high.

"It hasn't stopped all day, the current still going, it's still flooding into the houses," she told BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

"I think it's stopped rising, but it's still there, nothing is soaking away."

The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum said it was monitoring the situation in four areas, including the South Forty Foot Drain, Branston Delph, Bourne Eau and Greatford.

It added that up to 15 properties at Tallington, near Stamford, had flooded following a breach in the River Welland.

There have been 10 breaches of flood defences reported and 17 roads across Lincolnshire are closed, including the A159 at Scotter Common and Sincil Bank in Lincoln.

Leigh Edlin from the Environment Agency said that although the "worst of Storm Henk" was over and river levels were generally dropping, the geography of the county meant flooding could still continue.

"The challenge that we have in Lincolnshire is because we are so flat," he said.

"So between Lincoln and Boston there is very little fall, so it takes such a lot of time to get the water through the systems and out to sea.

"That on top of very saturated ground, we had the wettest winter on memory, means that any extra rainfall immediate impacts on rivers."

Meanwhile, North East Lincolnshire has warned people to be careful when visiting parks.

The authority said many of them had suffered from "ponding" where water collects in one spot, creating a large puddle or body of water.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn said: "Please take care when visiting parks across the borough and stay clear of any standing water if possible. However, if unable to do so, please be aware of your surroundings and the depth of water."

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]