Areas issued with flood warnings in West Sussex

Many roads and areas of West Sussex have been affected by flooding; West Sussex County Council strongly advised people to only travel if absolutely necessary.

The Environment Agency issued the following flood warnings on the 16th and 17th November:

• Mock Bridge, near Shermanbury on the River Adur
• River Rother at Fittleworth
• Western Rother from Lodsbridge to Shopham Bridge
• River Ouse at Lindfield Bridge including Pims Lock
• River Ouse and tributaries from Slaugham to Ardingly including the Shell Brook
• River Mole at Charlwood and Hookwood including Povey Cross Road and Gatwick Airport, West Sussex and Surrey

On the roads: an update from West Sussex Highways

Bines Road in Partridge Green is still closed and likely to be over the weekend. At other locations, the Council will be collecting the temporary road closure signs that are now no longer needed. This will take a few days to complete.

There is now one flood warning left in place in West Sussex issued by the Environment Agency.

Flood warning issued for Pulborough on the River Arun

The River Arun remains high but has fallen from its peak in Pulborough. Flooding will continue to affect the A29 at Pulborough. Water will be extensive through fields and could affect gardens and properties on Lower Street and Swan Corner, Pulborough, near to Swan Bridge and Bridge Cottages, Greatham.

River levels could rise by a few centimetres in Pulborough on Friday, as a result of Friday morning’s tide. However, river levels should fall again Friday evening. Very little rain is forecast Friday and Saturday, but the river will not return to a normal level until next week.

Flooding of fields will continue until the weekend. Some roads, including the A29 at Pulborough, may become impassable, the Council suggests planning to avoid driving through routes vulnerable to flooding. Keep flood protection products installed in Pulborough, if you have them. The Councils pumps in Pulborough are running to help reduce the risk of flooding.

The Councils ask people to move possessions and valuables off the ground or to safety and call 999 if in immediate danger.

They continue to monitor the levels and forecast.

Potential impacts and how to keep yourself safe

The County Council’s incident response staff are monitoring the situation, clearing debris and blockages from the river.

View the full warnings at the Flood Warning site: check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings

Potential impacts:

• Travel disruption
• Damage to property
• Disruption to some WSCC services
• Health hazards

Help keep yourself and your family safe doing some simple actions recommended from the Council:

• Keep up to date with the latest information on flood warnings including by listening to local radio
• Move important items to a higher level if possible
• Prepare an emergency grab bag containing bottled water, warm clothes, medicines and other essential items

For more information go to:

• Gov.uk What to do in a flood: check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk
• WSCC Dealing with extreme weather: www.westsussex.gov.uk/dealing-with-extreme-weather
• WSCC Preparing for emergencies: www.westsussex.gov.uk/preparing-for-emergencies