Hambledon village put on alert as cellars fill with water - six years after devastating flooding
RESIDENTS in a Hampshire village are on alert because of impending flooding.
Following the heavy rain during storms Ciara and Dennis, ground water levels have exceeded safety levels which have resulted in Hambledon village being officially placed on flood alert.
Hambledon has a long history of flooding. Village resident and member of the Hambledon Flood Action Group, James King, 78, said: ‘There are two boreholes which are monitored by the Environment Agency. The one at Whitedale Farm is 63 metres above base level while the one at Broadhalfpenny Down is at 57 metres.
‘Anything above 55 metres triggers a flood warning. The current water levels are higher than anything we have experienced in the last 12 months’
The historic cause of flooding in the village is as a result of rising groundwater which floods into peoples homes and out onto the surrounding streets. The recent heavy rainfall has already resulted some people’s cellars being flooded.
A statement on the government’s flood alert website said: ‘In Hambledon, groundwater levels are very high and rising. Currently, we expect a small number of cellars will be flooded in the lower part of West Street.’
Residents have been emailed a warning from the Environment Agency.
Angela Webb was one of those having to pump water out of her cellar due to flooding.
Angela said: ‘We have a well in our cellar and the build up of groundwater has caused it to flood. We have activated our two pumps but water levels are still rising. So far things have not been as bad as we experienced previously.’
The Village pub, The Vine, has seen its own groundwater monitor – the pub well – rise alarmingly over the last couple of weeks.
Barman Doug Robinson, who has lived in the village for 20 years, said: ‘The well has risen by around 8ft since Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis. Flooding is always a worry as the last flood resulted in a river of water flowing down the street. The road into the village was shut for six weeks.’
It was after the floods of 2014, which resulted in parts of the village being underwater for more than 40 days, that Hampshire County Council spent £3.89m on a mile-long 1.2m wide drainage pipe to deal with groundwater overflow. Residents were also provided with pumps and drains outside their homes to channel any cellar floodwater into the pipe and out of the village.
Despite evidence of flooded roads and fields surrounding the village, residents are confident the pipe will do its job in protecting the village from the current adverse weather.
Nigel Frost, 76, said: ‘Some people in the past used to have pumps but it would simply pump the water onto the street. The pipe can take in a lot of rainfall and so far it seems to be dealing with the problem pretty well.’
Mr King, who remains more cautious, added: ‘We won’t know how well the pipe works until its capacity is fully tested. I think we will find out more in the next week or so.’