Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Offers Update On Cambridgeshire Flooding

Area Commander - Chris Parker said, “While many residents were enjoying the festive period, our crews, officers, and emergency call handlers were hard at work helping those impacted by the flooding seen across the county."

He adds, “Working with our partners from the Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and local authorities, crews were out pumping water out of properties, assisting with travel to rest centers, and helping build flood defenses. Crews also assisted people trapped in their vehicles after attempting to travel through flooded roads."

dynamic flash flooding phase

Chris Parker continues, “This was a very challenging operation for everyone involved, from the dynamic flash flooding phase to the preparation for the arrival of Storm Bella. The coordination group declared it a major incident due to the response needed. Our Combined Fire Control dealt with more than 600 incidents in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk between the first call on Wednesday afternoon and Christmas Day morning, while also moving crews around the county to maintain cover for other emergencies."

Keeping the residents safe

Luckily the weather did not hit Cambridgeshire as badly as other parts of the region"

He adds, “The partners remained in contact regularly over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day to coordinate the activities to help keep residents as safe as possible. Luckily the weather did not hit Cambridgeshire as badly as other parts of the region." 

Chris Parker further said, “Although we plan for incidents like this, it always brings challenges, especially during the early dynamic phases."

emergency service

He adds, "Residents can help with this by following some simple steps, such as checking for weather warnings, having sandbags to hand (even homemade ones using sand from any home maintenance shop), and never driving through flood water on a road."

Chris Parker concludes, “As an emergency service, we are always prepared to respond, even at Christmas. Our staff worked incredibly hard from the first call, day and night, to help those in need. I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work, including those from our partner agencies.”