Storm Christoph: North Yorkshire flooding 'under control'

Flooding in parts of North Yorkshire is "under control" as river levels continue to rise in the aftermath of Storm Christoph.

Huge efforts are being made to pump water away from Malton where the River Derwent has reached record levels.

Ryedale council leader Keane Duncan said there had been no major flooding and the situation was "under control".

In York, the River Ouse has peaked and the city council have said "the worst is over".

The Environment Agency (EA) said the Ouse had stabilised at 4.64 m (15.2ft).

Paula Widdowson, City of York councillor, said: "The worst is over, the river Ouse has peaked well below what our defences can cope with and it is now on its way down. The Foss peaked at 2.7m and that is now really going down."

On Thursday more than 100 homes at risk of flooding in the Clementhorpe area were offered evacuation by the council to a Covid-safe hotel.

The authority said the move was a precautionary measure and only one family had taken up the offer.

In Malton, pumping has been taking place overnight.

The Derwent has peaked at 5.05m (16.5ft) but the Environment Agency said that was within the range of the flood defences.

Mr Duncan said: "We are breathing a collective sigh of relief as a community.

"We have avoided major damage to properties... The situation is under control and the river has not overtopped."

He said the River Derwent had passed its recorded peak of 5.03m (16ft) in 2000 when widespread flooding occurred but because of the defences the town had been protected.

Richard Flinton, chair of North Yorkshire's Local Resilience Forum, said due to the defences only a few properties had flooded.

"There is so much spring water activity and high water table activity we see surface water flooding and we've got five properties that are unfortunately flooded."

Ben Hughes, from the EA, admitted the biggest concern had been the ground and spring water in and around Malton and Norton.

"We need to make sure we monitor that over the coming days and weeks and pump that spring water across in the river."

As river levels remain high across the county, about 30 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, remain in force.

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