Storm Henk: Record-breaking flooding across Huntingdonshire

Those are the urgent words of Cambridgeshire County Council chairman Councillor Stephen Ferguson following the recent flooding across Huntingdonshire caused by Storm Henk. 

While the river at St Ives reached its highest level ever at the weekend - 1.53metres - Brampton also recorded its highest water levels on record - just once centimetre above the 2003 high.

Huntingdon Riverside car park and St Neots Riverside car park were also out of action over the weekend due to the high levels of water.  

The previous day (Friday), more than a dozen roads across Huntingdonshire had to close, while 16 red alerts and 35 amber alerts were in place; Alconbury Brook at Hamerton, Alconbury Weston, Alconbury, Little Stukeley and Brampton in Huntingdonshire were among those given 'red warnings’.   

That morning, several residents in St Ives contacted The Hunts Post about their fears of a potential flood risk - one said it was “fairly terrifying”. 

Cllr Ferguson, who spent much of his weekend organising road closures, added: "It has been bad but could have been much much worse.

"It was five or six centimetres from the river breaching its banks in St Neots. I would call it a near-miss compared to 2020.

"If it was just a little higher, though, it would have affected hundreds of people."

He added: "We need to acknowledge that these kind of events are going to be happening more frequently, so people will need to respond more resiliently.

"My main concern is that, because of these two near-misses, there's a sense of apathy in the town - people don't take action soon enough.

"They are waiting until the eleventh hour to get sandbags, but people need to understand that they need to prepare for the next flooding incident now.

"It wouldn't take much more water for it to have been much more serious." 

He added that "the ability of any council to deliver hundreds of sandbags in any flooding incident is low" and that "there's not much anyone can do to prevent the river overflowing - it's a consequence of living by the river".

Cllr Sarah Conboy, executive leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, said: “I would like to express my gratitude to our dedicated partner organisations, including the Environment Agency, and the incredible members of our community for their swift and resolute response to the recent flooding incidents across the district.

“Your collaboration and resilience have played a crucial role in mitigating the impact on our residents.

“While we appreciate the collective efforts in managing the current challenges, it's essential for everyone to remain vigilant and prepared.

“A second peak flow is anticipated over the coming days so please I urge all residents to stay informed, follow official guidance, and take necessary precautions.”

Mike Coles, of Woodwalton, added: “On this occasion, my own defence systems stopped me getting flooded. 

“Unfortunately, houses in New Road were flooded again. 

“What do we have to do to get our local authorities to rectify the problems causing flooding in our village. I am exhausted battling with them. 

“In our village, they cannot blame this on the climate, the problem is that our local village drains are knackered and blocked off in some cases.  

“The previous flood forum programme achieved absolutely nothing and probably cost a fortune to administrate in the first place.” 

The Waits in St Ives was flooded on Friday (Image: Nader Khalifa)

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency added: “Over the last week we’ve had heavy rain fall over Huntingdonshire on ground that is already wet.

“Our Environment Agency teams have been out on the ground, working to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible.  

“We’ve worked closely with partners and local authorities to co-ordinate our response across the district.

“We are continuing to monitor river levels at St Ives and St Neots which remain high after the recent rain.”

Huntingdon Racecourse on January 3. (Image: GEOFF SODEN)