Storm Dennis

We publish here this notice issued today by Bradford Council:

Staff at Bradford Council are gearing up for another storm on its way to the district at the same time as clearing up after the last one.

Many areas were affected by Storm Ciara last week flooding properties, causing surface water, fallen trees, damaged roads and rivers to overflow banks.

There is hardly time to draw breath for hard-working staff before the arrival of Storm Dennis at the weekend.

According to the Met Office, wind gusts of 50 – 60 mph and more heavy rain are expected to compound the problems already suffered by many people.

Representatives of all local authority services are meeting every day to co-ordinate the recovery from last weekend and to try to anticipate what further problems will be caused by Dennis.

A close eye is being kept on the weather and preparations are in hand with extra staff drafted in to cope with any more weather related issues.

There was no particular pattern of areas of the district affected by last week’s flooding so there is no way to predict which areas will be affected by Storm Dennis.

Council officers are advising people to sign up for flood and weather warnings at the following websites. They should also monitor social media news sites, Council social media sites as well as other news sources for the latest information to keep them safe.

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2020-02-13

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

Bradford Council will provide as much information and help as possible but householders should also take responsibility for efforts to protect their own property. Bags of sand are available at local DIY and building supply stores.

Council Leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Looking at the weather forecast for the weekend, Storm Dennis is not predicted to be as destructive to this area as the previous Storm Ciara but we are taking no chances.

“Lots of staff have volunteered to work at the weekend to give help where it is needed and provide reassurance for our residents.

“In the spirit of #People Can residents should make sure they access the correct information and do what everything possible to avoid damage to their property.”