Star date: 9th February 2020

COMMUNITY FEARED REPEAT OF 2015 BOXING DAY FLOOD

Lower Broughton, Lower Kersal and Charlestown had flood warnings from the Environment Agency this afternoon as water levels of the River Irwell began rising rapidly, just a few feet from breaking its banks in some areas.

With both flood basins in Lower Kersal open and working, the river was said to have reached its peak at 2:30pm, although resident Keri Muldoon of the Broughton Flood Group told the Salford Star "We still have to be aware of what's going to come down from thirty miles away, and we've got to keep our eye out for the rain that's still got to come as well. This is not going away overnight. Be vigilant."

Full details here...

At the corner of the deserted Mocha Parade in Lower Broughton this afternoon, the new flood sign flashed out its warning with a giant exclamation mark in a red triangle...'Flood Warning: River Irwell at Salford...'

However, people were already gathered along the banks of the river, from Lower Kersal to Lower Broughton checking the levels, as the Irwell raged like it hasn't done since Boxing Day 2015 when hundreds of houses were hit by floods.

This time, the authorities seemed better prepared, with yellow suited Environment Agency staff manning the entrance to the new working flood basin off Littleton Road, and Salford Council and police vans patrolling on alert.

River levels were high on Spike Island in Lower Broughton where flooding began last time and on Riverside as residents looked on, with just a couple of feet to spare before the river broke its banks.

Fortunately, at the time of writing, the Irwell seems to have levelled out with the water even receding slightly – but Keri Muldoon, whose house was flooded in 2015 and has since run the Broughton Flood Group, warned the community to continue being on their guard... 

"The peak was reached from 2:30pm this afternoon but we still have to be aware of what's going to come down from thirty miles away, and we've got to keep our eye out for the rain that's still got to come as well" Keri told the Salford Star "This is not going away overnight. Be vigilant."

Keri has become the kind of unofficial go-to member of the community since 2015 and says she had around 150 calls and messages today...

"I've had people crying to me this morning, panicking" she said "But I can't say whether we're going to flood or not although I am in contact with the Environment Agency, so I have to go on their reports, even though they aren't here and we are."

Keri explained that to be on the safe side, if there's a flood warning, as opposed to a flood alert, she tells people to move their things upstairs...and this morning, with the river looking angry, once that warning was issued she told them to move their belongings to safety.

"I'm sorry that people have had to deal with this since the floods of 2015 but this is kind of like climate change and everything else that's bringing in, carbon footprints and whatever else" she concluded "This is what we're going to have to get used to...but it's what it does to people's heads when they wake up and see that..."

Update: 7pm: Salford No Longer On Flood Warning!

Main photo shows Keri Muldoon on Spike Island where the river burst in 2015