Tonight the Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the River Derwent. A Flood Alert is not as serious as a Flood Warning, but it does mean that flooding is possible and residents should be prepared.
The forecast for the weather over the next 24 hours is for heavy rain and the river level is predicted to rise sharply. There is a strong possibility of road and agricultural flooding and some properties could also be at risk.
The advice being issued by the authorities is for those properties prone to flooding to take precautions and for farmers with livestock to move them out of fields near to the river.
As Wenslees is the area most at risk of flooding within the South Darley Parish, sandbags have been delivered nearby for use by residents living on the lane. More will become available as soon as all ‘at risk’ areas across the Derbyshire Dales have had a supply and vulnerable areas are revisited. Please keep these sandbags for use by Wenslees residents only, for the time being, and do not advertise their location. This is to prevent a ‘free for all’ taking place. If the situation gets worse, sandbags will hopefully be delivered to other parts of Darley Bridge. At this time, it is important to prioritise Wenslees.
The forecasts from the EA for Darley Bridge can be seen here. For interest, the black line is the highest ever recorded level for the river back in 1965.
Derbyshire Dales District Council flood information
The council’s information about flooding, including the emergency floodline number, can be seen here.