Battle to save homes as gardens flood
Residents at Surfleet Reservoir and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue were battling to save nearly a dozen homes threatened by flooding on Tuesday.
Fire and rescue said 11 homes were at risk and water had entered two properties before 10.30am.
Water was several inches deep in the gardens – surrounding homes on all sides – and along a wide strip of the bank between the homes and the river.
One fire and rescue crew from Spalding pumped water away from the riverbank and resident Valerie Bristowe and her partner had gear set up in their garden to pump water into a neighbouring field.
Miss Bristowe said: “We are expecting more floods. If we don’t get rid of this water now we could well end up with water inside the house.”
She’s lived at The Reservoir since 1990.
“We were flooded then and we’ve had this about three times,” she said.
The worst flood struck in February 2009 when water and sewage swept through Miss Bristowe’s home and she had to move out for a couple of years while repairs were completed.
Miss Bristowe (65) said: “When I moved back in, I had nothing at all – no curtains, no bed, nothing at all.
“I love it here but now I am getting older this is a bit too much.”
Fellow resident Roy Fell (74) said: “I was quite surprised I was the only one out here at 7am watching it come up and watching it come over, quite exciting really because I am a Piscean.”
Mr Fell, a Surfleet parish councillor, said the floods happen at high tide because the sluice can’t be opened then – and water flowing from “up country” comes over the bank.
He said there is a small bank between his home and the river and the flooding happens when the water flows over it.
“Compared with the last time in 2009 this is not too bad at all,” he said.
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Weather for Spalding
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: North
