Flood awareness event to be held in village
Experts from the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, and South Kesteven District Council's emergency planning team will be at the meeting next week to answer questions and offer support.
Residents will have access to personalised advice and information, along with the opportunity to speak directly with experts about flood protection.
Councillor Richard Cleaver said there will be "specific advice on how to be aware of potential flooding, how to prepare your home and what to do if the worst happens".
'Floodpod'
A flood victim, who calls herself Flood Mary, will also be at the event to raise awareness of flood risks and discuss about her own experience.
There will also be a "FloodPod" which will offer the chance to see, touch and understand how flood defence systems protect homes and businesses.
A spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council said the aim of the meeting is to "reduce the devastating impact of floods on individuals, families and businesses".
The drop-in event will be held at Billingborough Cricket Club on 28 July from 11:00 BST until 18:00 BST.
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
Residents to question agency over floods
Digger driver rescues his grandparents from flood
Flood victims need cash help, says council leader
Related internet links
South Kesteven District Council
Anglian Water
Environment Agency
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


WIRED
5 hours ago
- WIRED
The Texas Floods Were a Preview of What's to Come
Jul 26, 2025 7:00 AM Mounting evidence shows no US state is safe from the flooding that ravaged Texas' Kerr Country. Community members grieve during a candlelight vigil to honor the lives lost in the flash floods that claimed more than 120 lives on July 11, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Photograph:This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The country watched in horror as torrential rain drenched Texas earlier this month, sweeping at least 135 people to their death. Kerr County alone lost 107, including more than two dozen children at Camp Mystic. From afar, it would be easy, even tempting, to think that floods like these could never happen to you. That the disaster is remote. It's not. As details of the tragedy have come into focus, the list of contributing factors has grown. Sudden downpours, driven by climate change. The lack of a comprehensive warning system to notify people that the Guadalupe River was rising rapidly. Rampant building in areas known to flood, coupled with incomplete information about what places might be at risk. These are the same elements that could trigger a Kerr County type of catastrophe in every state in the country. It's a reality that has played out numerous times already in recent years, with flooding in Vermont, Kentucky, North Carolina and elsewhere, leaving grief and billions of dollars in destruction in its wake. 'Kerr County is an extreme example of what's happening everywhere,' said Robert Freudenberg, vice president of energy and environmental programs at the Regional Plan Association. 'People are at risk because of it, and there's more that we need to be doing.' The most obvious problem is we keep building in areas prone to flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, produces readily available maps showing high-risk locales. Yet, according to the latest data from the nonprofit climate research firm First Street Foundation, 7.9 million homes and other structures stand in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, which designates a location with 1 percent or greater chance of being inundated in any given year. FEMA Flood Zone Top 10 Source: First Street Foundation In Louisiana, a nation-leading 23 percent of properties are located in a FEMA flood zone. In Florida, it's about 17 percent. Arkansas, New Mexico, and Nebraska are perhaps less expected members of the top 10, as is New Jersey, which, with New York City, saw torrential rain and flooding that killed two people earlier this month. Texas ranks seventh in the country, with about 800,000 properties, or roughly 6.5 percent of the state's total, sitting in a flood zone. Kerr County officials have limited authority to keep people from building in these areas, but even when governments have the ability to prevent risky building projects, they historically haven't. Although one study found that some areas are finally beginning to curb floodplain development, people keep building in perilous places. 'There's an innate draw to the water that we have, but we need to know where the limits are,' said Freudenberg. 'In places that are really dangerous, we need to work toward getting people out of harm's way.' Kerr County sits in a region known as Flash Flood Alley, and at least four cabins at Camp Mystic sat in an extremely hazardous 'floodway.' Numerous others stood in the path of a 100-year flood. When the Christian summer camp for girls underwent an expansion in 2019, the owners built even more cabins in the water's path. 'It's an unwillingness to think about what the future—and the present—have in store for us,' said Rob Moore, director of the Water and Climate Team at the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC, about Americans' tradition of floodplain development. 'It's a reluctance to own up to the reality we live in.' Many people don't even know they are in harm's way. According to the NRDC, 14 states have no flood disclosure laws, and in eight they deem the laws 'inadequate.' FEMA maps are also flawed. For one, they can be politically influenced, with homeowners and communities often lobbying to be excluded in order to avoid insurance mandates and potential building costs. And experts say the science underpinning the maps is lagging too. FEMA 'only maps main river channels and coastal storm surge areas,' explained Jeremy Porter, the head of climate implications research at First Street Foundation. The agency, he added, specifically doesn't model heavy rainfall, isn't great about indicating the risk of urban flooding, and is behind on accounting for climate change. First Street Flood Zone Top 10 Source: First Street Foundation First Street built a flood model that tries to fill in those gaps. It found that 17.7 million people are at risk of a 100-year flood, a number that's more than double what FEMA's hazard area state rankings also change, with mountainous areas susceptible to inland flash flooding jumping up the list. West Virginia moves into first, with a staggering 30 percent of properties built in flood-prone areas. Kentucky climbs from 19th to sixth. Texas remains at seventh, but the portion of properties at risk goes to 15 percent. In Kerr County, FEMA's maps showed 2,560 properties (6.5 percent) in a flood zone. First Street's model nearly doubled that. 'There's a ton of unknown risk across the country,' said Porter, who says better maps are among the most important goals that policymakers can and should work toward. First Street has partnered with the real estate website Redfin to include climate risk metrics in its listings. Rob Moore says political will is essential to making that type of systemic change when it comes to not only flooding, but other climate risks, such as wildfires or coastal erosion. Strengthening building codes and restricting development in high-risk areas will require similar fortitude. 'Governments and states don't want to tell developers to not put things in a wetland, not put things in a floodplain,' he said. 'We should be telling people don't put them in a flatland, don't build in a way that your home is going to be more susceptible to wildfire.' Until then, hundreds of communities across the country could—and likely will—be the next Kerr County.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bolton weather forecast for the weekend
The Met Office has forecasted a mix of rain and sunshine for Bolton over the weekend. Today will start with showers likely at 7am and 10am, with temperatures between 15C and 18C. The afternoon will see clearing skies and some sun, with temperatures rising to 19C. The evening will be mostly clear and dry, with temperatures between 16C and 18C. Sunday morning will be cloudy with an increasing chance of showers, and temperatures between 14C and 16C. Showers are expected to persist into the afternoon, with temperatures reaching 18C. READ MORE: Free bus pass update following calls to include all over 60s Get six months of unlimited Wanderers coverage for just £6 in our summer sale Iconic EastEnders villain set to move to Emmerdale in major new switch The evening will remain cloudy, with a lower chance of rain and temperatures around 16C. Winds will be light to moderate throughout the weekend, and visibility is expected to be good to very good. Pollen levels will be moderate to high, peaking midday on Saturday.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Major concerns over Southern Water 'drought' plan which could close businesses
Major concerns have been raised over Southern Water's drought plans which could see water continue to be taken from the River Test as water levels fall, the Echo can reveal. Businesses could see sweeping restrictions, including the forced closure of certain swimming pools and car washes 'if necessary'. Major concerns have been raised on the effects the plan could have on the Test and Itchen's wildlife, with one Itchen river activist branding the move a "lethal cocktail" for wildlife. Southern Water itself was unable to rule out an 'adverse effect' on endangered salmon living in the area. Changes to Southern Water's current rules Currently, the utility company can take the equivalent of 80 million litres of water per day from the River Test, provided the overall flow of the river remains above 355 million litres per day. But the company now wants to lower this licensed limit, meaning it would be allowed to continue taking water until the flow drops to 265 million litres per day. READ MORE: 6 rules you need to follow during Hampshire hosepipe ban to avoid £1,000 fine Southern Water said they cannot simply stop taking water from the Test as it was "necessary" to ensure taps remain running, confirming to the Echo that the region is now "in drought". 'We follow a strict legal process, set by the government and regulators, to ensure we are taking the correct steps to both keep supplying water to our customers and to mitigate any negative environmental impact at the same time," a spokesperson told the Echo. Further restrictions would only be brought in if "absolutely necessary", Southern Water said, and would only be needed "if river flows fall below 355 million litres per day". Businesses could be restricted in upgraded hosepipe ban The change is part of the utility company's Drought Order, which has been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) due to a 'threat of a serious deficiency in supplies of water'. While a hosepipe ban came into effect on Monday, it does not currently impact businesses. But part of the Drought Order means that a Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB) could potentially be issued, which would see businesses forced to comply with 10 hosepipe restrictions. READ MORE: No discount for hosepipe ban, Southern Water confirms Southern Water said this will only be implemented 'if necessary', but its enforcement would see car wash businesses banned from using hosepipes to clean vehicles. Mechanic vehicle washers would also not be allowed under the Drought Direction 2011, and swimming pools that are only open to paying members may have to close. 'If river levels continue to drop and a NEUB is required, further information will be provided,' a spokesperson for Southern Water said. Potential "adverse effect" on protected River Itchen Gavin Millar from Friends of the Itchen Estuary, who branded potential plans a lethal cocktail. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) An environmental report conducted by the company concluded that an adverse effect on the River Itchen's Special Area of Conservation 'cannot be discounted'. Reduced flows in the Test could impact the Itchen's salmon population, the company said. Gavin Millar sampling river water. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) Speaking on behalf of the Friends of the Itchen Estuary, Gavin Millar said the impact of Southern Water's 'excessive water extraction' are evident in low levels, elevated water temperatures and long-term declining ecology. He branded this a 'lethal cocktail' for 'critically endangered chalk stream salmon'. This very rare sub-species of Atlantic salmon is only found in six habitats, two of which are the Rivers Test and Itchen. READ MORE: Work begins on £100m pipeline to boost Southampton's water supply 'Salmon have been swimming in the waters of the Test and Itchen for hundreds of thousands of years but are now at risk of being wiped out for good,' the Test and Itchen Association's director Paul Vignaux explained. He argued Hampshire 'urgently' needs new sources of water, like the Havant Thicket reservoir which is not expected to be operational until at least 2031. 'Until then we will have a shortfall of water in the county and it's our rivers that will be picking up the slack,' Paul said. Hampshire "urgently" needs "sustainable solutions", rivers trust argues Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust. (Image: Wessex River Trust) Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust, agreed that the county 'urgently' needs 'sustainable solutions' to reduce reliance on taking water from rivers. 'This Drought Order highlights just how close to the edge our freshwater environment already is,' he told the Echo. A spokesperson for Southern Water said it has proposed several monitoring, mitigation, and compensation measures to offset the potential effects of the Drought Order. 'These measures are a mixture of actions that are already in place and more that will be implemented over the next year,' the spokesperson continued. 'If we need to implement a Drought Order, we would monitor and react to environmental conditions as required.'