The Morning Advertiser (MA) spoke to Jan Wise, owner and operator of the Walnut Tree in Thwaite, North Yorkshire to understand how she reacted to the recent flooding.
Wise reminded pub owners to remain calm during a flood. “There is no point in panicking because quite often there’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can change,” she said.
Wise advised operators to “nag about the drainage and ditches,” in specific areas, mainly villages, as inadequate maintenance can exacerbate flooding.
Poorly maintained drainage
The owner also explained the flooding in her area wasn’t caused by her pub’s drainage system, but rather by poorly maintained ditches in the surrounding village.
If operators have a basement, she recommended making sure a reliable sump pump is installed throughout the site. “That’s the first thing that’s going to fill up with water,” she said.
According to the Government website, the Environmental Agency (EA) has issued 80 flood warnings and 159 flood alerts as of Wednesday, 27 November.
EA flood duty manager Ben Lukey noted that minor river flooding impacts are expected throughout parts of the south and east of England and are also predicted on the River Severn until Friday 29 November.
Better protections
According to new information on the Gov.uk website, the Government is also investing £2.4bn until March 2026 in order to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country.
The Government has also formed a Floods Resilience Taskforce, in order to expedite the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather.
This taskforce is incorporating lessons learned from recent floods, such as those caused by Storms Bert and Conall, to improve future flood prevention efforts.
