Column: Councillor Jane Scullion: Be Prepared

It seems really strange, following this summer’s dry weather, and the fact that we have still got a hosepipe ban locally, to be talking about preparing for floods! But according to the Environment Agency, rainfall is already up to a third higher than it was in 2024. Last winter, the Environment Agency issued more than 3,000 flood alerts, 1,600 flood warnings, and three severe flood warnings.

It’s hard to believe that it is nearly ten years since we had the catastrophic flood of Boxing Day 2015. Mytholmroyd, in the ward I represent as a councillor, was particularly badly affected. The effects were shocking – primary schools, the post office, shops, churches, cafes, sheltered accommodation for older people – all flooded. If you haven’t experienced a serious flood, you are lucky. Nothing prepares you for the sheer power, force, and noise of a river in flood, or for the aftermath, the smell of silt and sewage, the ruined furniture and the damage to precious things that weren’t rescued in time, like old photographs. And of course, it was the middle of winter, and the power was out for many days, often leaving us in darkness during the clean-up.

It’s really hard to communicate the impact of a severe flood on a whole community, residents and businesses. It is also hard to understand the impact on the mental health, the sheer anxiety felt every time it rains heavily. The Boxing Day flood happened before I became a Calderdale councillor and was one of reasons that I stood for election. My own house was badly flooded, and I spent a lot of time helping neighbours and others recover.

But good things came from that terrible experience. Flood hubs to support people were stood up quickly in the town hall in Hebden Bridge and in the old library in Mytholmroyd, urgent repair grants were given out and those who had become homeless were helped to find somewhere temporary to live.

One of the extraordinary things was the kindness of complete strangers from around Calderdale who came to feed residents and volunteers, mop up cellars and clear ruined kitchens. And the people of Calderdale are nothing if not resilient: neighbours made flood plans to look after each other’s houses if they were away and business owners who lived on the tops had a buddy telephone system. Voluntary groups like Slow the Flow began the work of planting trees and developing leaky dams in order to stop the water tumbling so quickly into the rivers and onto our roads.

We then successfully lobbied for money from government. We knew, with global warming, that flooding in our borough would increase.

The Environment Agency scheme in Mytholmroyd, recently completed, was lengthy and complex, but there can be no doubt that it has given us more security into the future.

So, even if the sun is shining today, check out www.gov.uk/prepare-for-flooding or take a look at our local info at Eye on Calderdale: be prepared.