Public urged to stay safe and stay informed after flood alerts issued for Greater Manchester

Public urged to stay safe and stay informed after flood alerts issued for Greater Manchester

Firefighters are urging people across Greater Manchester to stay informed and stay safe after 18 flood alerts have been issued for the region by the Flood Warning Information Service.

Conditions are expected to deteriorate throughout the day.

Eleven parts of Greater Manchester have been issued with a warning, which means flooding is expected and action needs to be taken they are:

River Irwell at Pioneer Mills and Parkside Close

River Roch at Littleborough

River Irwell at Bury Ground

River Irwell at Prestolee and Ringley Bridges

Hey Brook at Rochdale, properties adjacent to the watercourse

Borsdane and Hockery Brook at Hindley

River Irwell at Summerseat, Riverside

River Irwell at Irwell Vale

Walsden Water at Walsden and Todmorden

River Spodden at Whitworth, Daniel Street

River Irwell at Strongstry and Chatterton

A further seven parts of Greater Manchester have been issued with a warning, which means flooding is possible and people should be prepared they are:

River Calder Upper Catchment

Lower River Ribble and Darwen

Lostock and Yarrow Catchment

River Colne, Holme and Fenay Beck

River Glaze catchment including Leigh and East Wigan

Lower River Irwell catchment including areas in Greater Manchester

Upper River Irwell catchment with Oldham, Bolton, Rochdale, Haslingden, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall.

Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: “Are thoughts are with those who have been affected by flooding today – we are working tirelessly across the North West to protect life and property.

“If you live in an affected area please do not travel and if you home has been flooded stay out of the water and wait for help.

“Flood water is extremely dangerous, it is dirty, can be fast flowing and often full of debris – the only way to stay safe is to stay out of the water.

“If you’re driving, see water on the road and don’t know how deep it is don’t drive through it – it only takes 30 cm of water to float a car and even less to write your car off.

“Our control operators are experiencing a high number of calls at the moment, so please only call 999 if it is a genuine emergency.”

For more information about flooding in your area please visit https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/ or call the 24 hour Floodline on 0345 988 1188.