Great Glen residents seek answers after a major flood damaged dozens of homes, leaving many displaced and frustrated.
LeicestershireLive spoke to affected villagers. They want to know why this happened. January 6 floods damaged 55 homes. Storm Henk flooded only five last year.
Susan and Gurdip Bains can’t live at home. Dehumidifiers hum constantly in their Main Street house. Susan said two feet of water flooded their home. She woke up to the rising water. It blocked the stairs. Her boots were downstairs.
Her husband waded through dirty water. He went to their daughter’s house. Two cars were flooded. They felt lost, unsure what to do. Susan wore plastic bags on her feet. She found her wellies.
She returned home after the water receded. Contaminated water filled the downstairs. The power went out. “Everything was soaking wet,” she said. They saw all the damage later. She asked her husband where they should stay.
They stayed in a hotel for a month. Now, they rent a temporary place. Hotels were depressing and costly. Susan did a big grocery shop. She put it in the fridge.
Andy Smith lives near the Italian Greyhound Pub. The pub was badly flooded too. Andy’s home is very old. It never flooded until last year. Now, it flooded twice. His home was built in 1610. He bought it in 2014. There were no flood records.
It flooded in January 2024. They replaced everything. He was moving back after the latest flood. He hadn’t used anything yet. Everything downstairs was new. The new kitchen is now ripped out.
We walked to Andy’s house. Dehumidifiers hummed there too. New flooring got ripped out. The new kitchen got removed. Appliances were covered in silt. New fixtures were destroyed.
Mel Davis speaks for the neighbors. They want answers about the flooding. They seek steps to prevent a repeat event. Neighbors want officials to explain the flood’s severity. They were still shocked last week. They spent £2,000 on sandbags. It didn’t stop the water.
The brook’s silt levels were high. The pavements were slippery. Residents say the brook floods since two years ago. Drains weren’t cleaned. London Road drains were covered. Great Glen residents feel ignored. They say the flooding was preventable. Authorities didn’t listen to their warnings.
Councillor Ozzy O’Shea sympathized with those affected. The rainfall was greater than Storm Henk. Snow melt and saturated ground caused high river levels. Excessive runoff overwhelmed systems. Roads, communities, and homes flooded.
The council investigates all flood locations. They are working with partners. It’s too early to know the cause in Great Glen. The responsible agency will address any issues. The council lobbies the government for more flood protection. Funds are not yet activated.
Drains are cleaned regularly. The council will look into specific concerns. The Environment Agency works with the county. A drop-in event will happen. Existing defenses had worked before. But these events overwhelmed them.
Surface water also flooded the village. Defenses cannot stop that. People should check flood risk online. They should sign up for warnings. Kirsty Haynes states “no concerns” about the system around Glen. Extreme weather happens more often. They check network capacity for future needs.
Severn Trent handles underground blockages. Local authorities handle flooding. The highways department maintains roadside drains.