Residents are “angry and scared” after being hit by floods for the second time in a year – that’s according to Leicestershire’s chief fire officer Callum Faint. He spoke after after latest figures released by Leicestershire County Council (LCC) revealed that around 800 homes and businesses were affected by last week’s devastating floods.
More than 380 calls were made to the fire service during the flooding response which began after torrential rain and thawing snow hit Leicestershire, LCC said today (Tuesday, January 14). The severity of the situation saw the Environment Agency issue a highly unusual severe flood warning, indicating a ‘risk to life’, as water levels in rivers and canals reached dangerous levels.
Mr Faint, from the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said families were forced to flee their homes “with only the soaked clothes on their back” amid the desperation to escape to safety. He said the impact on communities had been devastating, with some families experiencing their second flood in a year after Storm Henk hit in January 2024.
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“The personal and financial impact of flooding is devastating. My thoughts are with everyone affected. For some people, this is the second flood within a year and they are angry and scared,” said Mr Faint, who praised residents for their support during “extremely tough and harrowing circumstances”.
He added: “As a partnership, we’re continuing to support local residents, but more needs to be done to tackle this national issue. Last week, the leaders of the councils in Leicestershire and Rutland signed a letter to ministers asking for more money to help people.”
Leicestershire Police reported handling more than 2,100 calls on Monday, January 6 – a 40 to 50 per cent rise on average daily demand. The force said emergency crews rescued 60 people from properties and 27 from cars by boat during the flooding.
Zafar Saleem, Leicestershire County Council’s assistant chief executive, who is leading the recovery effort, said: “Not only have we seen people working through the night, we’ve also seen how communities have stepped up and opened their doors to those who’ve needed help, shelter and warm food or drink.”
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