Residents of a quiet historic market town have faced a New Year’s Day ‘nightmare’ as they awoke to their homes being flooded, following a relentless downpour that persisted throughout the night.
In Ormskirk, locals from Halsall Lane, Brighouse Close, Sanfield Close, and nearby areas, are today grappling with the aftermath of the floodwaters resulting from the swollen river levels. Dramatic footage circulating on social media illustrates the deluge in Halsall Lane on New Year’s Eve, while photos taken today show extensive flooding, prompting the closure of the road at the junction with County Road, enforced by the police.
A number of devastated people have posted on social media to say their houses have been damaged by the flooding. One woman shared images of rising water in her garden which has made its way into her house.
She said: “Well…happy new year. My house is flooded on Brighouse Close, anyone else?” Another woman, who lives in Halsall Lane, shared a picture of flooding around her washing machine and fridge and said: “Lived here for over 30 years and never flooded before – it is still rising.”
One local resident who spoke to the ECHO said: “It’s a nightmare, the rain last night was relentless and we’ve woken up this morning to find the junction shut, police have cordoned off the road and there’s just water everywhere. I think a pipe must have burst or the drains just couldn’t handle it all.
“This is one of the biggest junctions in the town so it’s a massive pain for traffic as well. Happy new year eh?”
Heavy flooding in Halsall Lane, Ormskirk
The Environment Agency issued a flood warning through the night for the area, which remains in place. It states: “Rising river levels are expected to cause flooding overnight. Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the Sandy Brook and Hurlston Brook. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one. Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.”
The flood warning area includes: Altys Lane, Statham Lane, Brook Lane, Dyers Lane, the Tennis Club, Hallsall Lane, Cottage Lane, Asmall Lane, The Reeds, Cotton Drive, Brookhouse Road, Sanfield Close, Southport Road, Courtfield and Hurlston Drive.
An update from Ormskirk and Rural West Lancashire Police said: “We want to update you and let you know that we’re experiencing flooding in Ormskirk. Because of this we’ve had to close Halsall Lane at the junction with County Road.
A flood warning for the area remains in place today
“We hope that the weather will clear soon but we’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening. If you need to report anything to us then you can do so on 101 or if someone is in immediate danger, then 999 is your line.”
Several busy roads have been closed in and around Lancashire today. It comes as a new yellow weather warning for ice comes into force at 4pm and will last for 18 hours, with temperatures expected to drop to as low as -7C overnight.
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