The current flood incident in Somerset is no longer being treated as a Major Incident as the clean-up and recovery are underway.
Somerset Council, emergency services, health and other partners have been working together since Sunday to respond to the flooding caused by intense rainfall over the weekend.
The agencies jointly moved into ‘Major Incident’ status in the early hours of Monday to help coordinate the response as homes flooded in Chard and Ilminster and further heavy rain forecast.
This morning, with improved conditions and forecast, that status has been stood down.
The Council’s emergency rest centres that were set-up in Chard, Ilminster and Somerton in the early hours of Monday have now all been stood down.
Somerset Council teams have been undertaking a clean-up in Chard and Ilminster, with street sweeping vehicles and staff on the ground.
Several residents were provided with temporary accommodation on Monday night having been evacuated from a residential caravan site near Somerton. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have been pumping water from the site, but residents are unlikely to be able to return home until tomorrow. Accommodation will be offered to those evacuated residents for tonight (Tuesday) where needed.
There are still roads closed due to floods and two of the four Emergency Closure Gates on the Somerset Levels are currently closed – Cutts Road and Langport Road.
Drivers must adhere to road closure signs. Please do not drive through flood water – 30cm of flowing water is enough to move the average car and if you get stuck you will be taking up valuable emergency resources.
Information and advice about preparing for and recovering from flooding is available on Somerset Council website. Residents who have suffered any flood damage are reminded to take photographs of it for insurance claim purposes before clearing it up.
Somerset Council encourages anyone who has experienced flooding to report it online through the link on this page After flooding. The information will help the Council, as the Lead Flood Authority, a detailed picture of flood risk across Somerset.
To stay up-to-date with the latest travel updates using our Travel Somerset X or our Roadworks and travel information page
Find out the current status of roads that have emergency road closure gates.
