SOMERSET Council has said that residents affected by extreme flooding must take precautionary measures to help prevent future incidents.
In a statement issued to the Wellington Weekly News, Somerset Council has reiterated its goal of ensuring residents affected by flooding take greater responsibility for the waterways around their homes.
A spokesperson for the council said: “Coping with flood incidents needs a partnership approach in terms of identifying potential ways to reduce the harms, such as working with landowners to reduce run-off, and that is what we are engaged in.”
The statement follows a recent report published by the council in response to flooding that took place in and around Wellington in September 2023. The flooding damaged properties around the town, forcing several households to relocate for 10 months.
The report, which was published almost 16 months after the incident, emphasises the responsibility of residents to prevent future flooding around their homes, saying “property owners need to consider their own preparedness for flooding events.”
It stated: “Communities must be prepared for the inevitable increase in frequency and severity of flooding events due to climate change and increasing exposure.
“Residents can prepare for and adapt to future flooding to prevent them from becoming disasters, like the flooding experienced in 2023.”
A number of Rockwell Green residents have come forward to express their discontent with the report which they say did little to account for their life-changing experience.
Torrents of contaminated water rushed through Ditchford Cottages after a nearby stream broke its banks.
Resident Martine Jacqumet, who lives next to Standall River which runs perpendicular to Hilly Head Road, says she was impacted by a foot of water inside her home and three feet of water outside in the garden.
The statement issued by the council stated in full: “Somerset Council’s Section 19 report into the September 2023 flooding incident in Wellington concluded that this was a severe weather event with levels of rain far exceeding normal levels.
“As outlined in the report the rapid rise of the Westford stream and the subsequent breach, coupled with surface runoff on Payton Road, led to widespread flooding across the town.
“These kinds of events are likely to become more frequent with climate changes and highways gullies and drains are not built to deal with the volumes of surface water caused by these factors. Analysis did not indicate failure of drainage infrastructure, more that it was overwhelmed.
“In the immediate aftermath of the incident significant drainage upgrades were carried out along Exeter Road and Bagley Road with the aim of alleviating some of the instances of surging drains.
“To be clear, the role of the highways drainage system is to cope with surface water on the road, it is not designed to deal with excessive volumes of water due to land run-off.
“Coping with flood incidents needs a partnership approach in terms of identifying potential ways to reduce the harms, such as working with landowners to reduce run-off, and that is what we are engaged in.
“It is also about adapting as communities and building resilience.”