Grantham residents nervous about the future as flooding fallout continues
Residents whose lives were turned upside down by flooding in January say they are still nervous about the situation six months on.
Water invaded 168 homes across Lincolnshire as heavy rain combined with melting snow to swell river levels.
Four families had to temporarily move out of their homes on Belton Lane in Grantham after water flooded from the nearby Wyndham Park.
Some of those families are still waiting to return, and those who escaped disaster want answers.
Jakob Woolley and his wife Emma had to stay in an AirBnb for four months – only returning home a week before their new baby arrived in May.
“It was fairly stressful with my wife being so pregnant at the time,” Jakob said.
“Everything had to go. Water, which was contaminated with sewage, got onto the skirting boards, the flooring, kitchen units, the bottom step of the stairs and the sofa.
“The next time there’s a flood warning, we will definitely buy sandbags and block up the drive.
“The next winter I will be a bit nervous – if we get through that without problems, then we will relax a little.”
Repair work is still ongoing at nearby homes where water got in.
Another 115 homes in Lincolnshire were classified as ‘near misses’, with gardens or outbuildings flooded.
Mark Harsley saw water rise within a few inches of his door, and still wants answers to explain why it happened.
“I was working nights, and my wife woke me up to say ‘You best move your car quickly’,” he said.
“We were very lucky that it didn’t quite get into the house.
“A few people lost electricity, so we were passing out cups of tea to the fire crews and the other people who had come to help.
“It was a real shock. I’ve never seen that in the ten years I’ve lived here, and we’re still waiting for a proper explanation.
“They did something with the drains and the water went down quite quickly after that, so perhaps they had been blocked.
“When you live near a river, you know it could happen, but it was shocking how fast it rose. Touch wood, we’ll never see that again.”
The investigation which authorities are required to carry out after each flooding event – known as a Section 19 report – is still underway, according to Lincolnshire County Council’s website.
Roger Sleigh lives across the road from the homes which were worst affected, and said water was “very close” to his own home.
“I feel very sorry for the people who got flooded badly. It’s bad enough for those who had their gardens demolished, let alone their homes,” he said.
“I hope something’s going to be done as people are still concerned.
“We’re waiting to see what the Environment Agency reports back, but then you need the money to do something, and that situation seems pretty dire for everyone at the moment.”