Flooding update: Recovery Operations
29 January 2025
Information for City, Town and Parish Councils, and Residents
Following the weekend’s intense rainfall, several areas of Somerset experienced flooding overnight on Sunday into the early hours of Monday, notably Chard and Ilminster, but also other locations including South Petherton and Somerton.
The Council, emergency services, health professionals and other partners have been working together to respond. The incident is no longer being treated as a ‘Major Incident’ and the clean-up and recovery operation is continuing.
Various teams have been involved, including Highways, Emergency Planning, Response and Recovery (EPRR), and Housing.
At its peak more than 100 people were evacuated from their homes and the Council set up three rest centres – in Chard, Ilminster and Somerton.
We are pleased to report that the rest centres have now closed, and residents are either back in their homes or are expected to return to them today.
A recovery workstream has been established and will, in the coming days, provide more detail about its work with communities and businesses.
Recovery Operations
Somerset Council have taken the role of co-ordinating authority for Recovery Operations as per normal procedures now that the Major Incident has been stood down. A recovery co-ordinating group has been set up with various sub-groups established. These are:
- Community, Housing and Health
- Communications and Public relations
- Infrastructure and Environment
- Information and Intelligence
Each sub-group has a named lead and will be reporting daily starting today (29 January 2025).
Somerset Council actions taken so far
- Hotel accommodation for 16 households extended until 1100 29 January 2025
- Most residents were repatriated to their homes on 28 January 2025
- Remaining residents will be repatriated by 1200 29 January 2025
- Transportation provided for displaced residents.
- Street cleansing teams have completed clean-up operations across Chard, Ilminster and South Petherton.
Highways: throughout the incident, Somerset Council’s Highways team worked around the clock with its contractor to close flooded roads and reopen them when safe.
There was a 100% increase in highways calls, with 296 calls on Monday and Tuesday.
Several road closures remain in place today. For the latest information on this Travel Somerset (@TravelSomerset) / X
Customer contact
We received 3,600 Lifeline (out of hours) calls on Sunday evening (an increase on the average of 1100). A further 3067 calls on Monday (532 between 6pm and 12pm) and 1727 calls on Tuesday.
Welfare calls to the households that were evacuated on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28th Jan 2025.
Adult Social Care: Contacted two care homes which had experienced flooding on Sunday night to check that contingency plans were in place and residents safe.
Next Steps
- Continue with clear up of Highways and assess impacts on the roads and other infrastructure
- Continue to work with other agencies and Town and Parish Councils to build picture of the worst affected areas.
- Work with Town and Parish Councils and other organisations to assess unmet needs from the residents and affected communities over next two weeks.
- Continue to provide support to affected and displaced residents.
- Confirm Somerset Council recovery structures (29 January)
- Form multi-agency recovery structures (30 January)
- Assess impacts on businesses over next two weeks and identify options for support.
- Plan multi-agency community drop-in centres in the worst affected communities to provide sign posting to assistance and to gather information and intelligence on flooded properties to inform investigations.
Advice for residents
We are asking all those affected by flooding to make sure they report it via the Flood Online Reporting Tool: FORT - HomeFut
Further information from Somerset Council can be found on our website: After flooding
The information will help the Council, as the Lead Flood Authority, to produce a detailed picture of flood risk across Somerset and to identify where there will be needs for flood investigations where multiple properties have been affected.
Anyone worried about flooding or impacted by flooding can find advice and guidance at Flooding information and advice.
If a resident’s property is owned by Somerset Council; and has been affected by flooding, please visit our Housing repairs page or you can phone us on 0300 123 2224.