More heavy rain on way as dozens of people evacuated from flooded holiday park

Weather warnings have been issued for more heavy rain as flooding forced 43 people to evacuate from a Northamptonshire holiday park.

Firefighters and police worked to evacuate residents until late on Tuesday night at Billing Aquadrome holiday park, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

A “very limited” number of people remain at the site, the fire service added.

Teams used 4×4 vehicles and PPE to help 43 people away from areas that were affected by the rising flood water.

West Northamptonshire Council carried out welfare checks on any vulnerable people at the site and provided an overnight rest centre and emergency bedding at Lings Forum Leisure Centre for 52 people and 22 dogs displaced by the flooding, the fire service said.

Billing Aquadrome residents who had spent the night on camp beds at the leisure centre praised local community volunteers from Red Cross and Re:Act for providing them with refreshments.

Speaking outside the leisure centre, a man aged in his 60s who had been evacuated from his caravan said the aquadrome’s electric supplies had been switched off to protect underground cables, and it was unclear when residents would be able to return to their homes.

The man, who asked not to be named, said: “We just don’t know. That’s why the council are here at the moment – they are trying to see if they can us temporary accommodation somewhere because they think it (a return to the aquadrome) is going to be Saturday at the earliest.”

Although media drone footage seen by the residents showed parts of the park were “near enough dry”, the man said previous flooding at the site had caused damage to electric cables, adding extra delays to moving back in.

A female resident at Billing Aquadrome, who was also reluctant to be named, said of the evacuation: “We are without a home at the moment but it was better to be safe than sorry.

“When you hear the sirens, we go. So we just packed a little bag and just got out.

“It (the leisure centre) is a sanctuary for Billing. The volunteers have been really great.”

The firefighters left at about midnight but will be returning on Wednesday.

Pictures taken on Tuesday showed neighbouring Cogenhoe Mill holiday park flooded after the River Nene burst its banks.

Areas including Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire were among the worst hit on Monday, the Met Office said previously.

The Environment Agency had 26 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 54 flood alerts, meaning it is possible, in place across England on Wednesday morning.

And two weather warnings for heavy rain have been issued by the Met Office for the coming days.

The first yellow warning – indicating heavy rain could cause some disruption – has been issued for Thursday, lasting all day and covering much of the North East of England.

The second has been issued for much of England and Wales, apart from North Wales, parts of the West Midlands and the North West of England, between 5pm on Thursday and 10am on Friday.

The yellow warnings indicate a slight chance of power cuts, a small chance that homes and businesses could become flooded, as well as the possibility of travel disruption, the Met Office said.

The North East could see 80-100mm of rain on the North York Moors, between 20mm and 30mm of rain widely, and up to 70mm could fall in some locations during the course of the day, Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said.

Meanwhile, the area covered by the warning over much of central and south England and Wales could see 20-30mm of rain in a two-hour period and 40-60mm within four to six hours.

Mr Dixon added that the rain within the central and south England and Wales warning area will be “falling on very saturated ground” so there is “potential for further flooding”.

Temperatures across the UK will be dropping as the weekend nears and overnight on Friday frost could be seen widely, he said.

The weekend will start drier, until late on Sunday, but with frequent showers in western Scotland and Northern Ireland. And, on Sunday night into Monday, strong winds and heavy rain will move in, he added.