Flooding: City residents prepared

9:27pm Thursday 17th January 2008

More than 100 homes are expected to flood in Oxford - but householders said they are better prepared than in July.

The Environment Agency expects the properties, in West Oxford and on Osney Island, to be affected over the next two days. The Abingdon Road area of the city is also considered to be under threat.

'I have just laid a wooden floor in the house which I might have to rip up'

Ian Mutton, 24

Fire spokesman Simon Belcher said tonight: "There's a 50/50 chance of flooding.

"In the event of flooding, we will be helping people out of their homes and assisting them with salvage.

"Because of the advanced warning, we are better prepared than last July."

But predictions from Oxfordshire County Council were less clear.

Emergency planning officer, John Kelly, had previously said more than 160 homes were under threat, but declined to make any forecast today.

Jed Ramsay, from the Environment Agency, said: "Water levels are just going to carry on rising for the next few days and we are expecting homes to be flooded - particularly in the Botley Road and Abingdon Road areas. But it is not going to be like the July flooding in terms of scale."

He added: "Residents in Oxford should be on high alert.

"They should be calling the Floodline to keep themselves informed about what the rivers are doing, and make plans for how they are going to react if there is flooding - such as moving furniture and their car, and keeping an eye on vulnerable neighbours."

The swollen River Thames is expected to rise another 10cm in Oxford on Friday and another 10cm again by Saturday afternoon.

The Bulstake Stream in West Oxford, is expected to rise by several inches by Saturday.

In Bullstake Close, beside the stream, the rising water was last night building up behind a dam of tarpaulin, wood and sandbags, constructed by Oxford City Council staff.

City council operations support manager, Sean Fry, said: "If we did not have these defences, these homes would have flooded by now."

In Duke Street and Earl Street, also close to the stream, water pumps tonight remained on standby while householders made the finishing touches to their home defences.

Ian Mutton, 24, who was refurbishing a home in Duke Street which flooded in July, said: "People are worried. I have just laid a wooden floor in the house which I might have to rip up."

On Oxford's Osney Island, large inflatable barriers had been installed alongside the Thames to protect homes in West Street.

Around 300 firefighters across the county were on standby last night and a list has been drawn up of vulnerable people who need to be evacuated.

Mr Kelly said plans were in place to evacuate people if flooding did occur, but urged people to stay in their homes.

For the latest floods information, see the Enivronment Agency website or call the Floodline on 0845 988 1188.