June 14, 2019 4.52 pm This story is over 57 months old

RAF choppers help plug Lincolnshire flood defences

A river had breached its defences in Wainfleet
Photo: Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters flew in with bulk bags of sand in Wainfleet as Lincolnshire continues to be hit by flooding.

Emergency crews, councils, the Environment Agency and local communities pulled together to help in what is a time of need in the county.

The RAF, with support from a Joint RAF and Army unit, are flying in almost 70, one-tonne bags of gravel suspended under a Chinook, dealing with adverse weather conditions. Photo: Royal Air Force

RAF helicopters and personnel from the RAF and British Army were previously deployed in support of the Environment Agency to stem the flow of floodwaters in Lincolnshire after the heavy rainfall.

The RAF Chinook was deployed on Thursday and continued to be used on Friday, alongside a Puma, to tackle the floods.

This operation is designed to reinforce the flood defences and drastically reduced the chances of further flooding, which has seen some residents evacuated from their homes.

The Environment Agency confirmed that the river had breached its defences after more than double June’s average rainfall came down within three days. After an assessment by the Lincolnshire Local Resilience Forum and Environment Agency it was decided that air support was needed to create a plug to stem the flow while the education of Wainfleet took place.

Photo: Royal Air Force

The RAF, with support from a Joint RAF and Army unit, flew in almost 70, one-tonne bags of gravel suspended under a Chinook. The operation was designed to reinforce the flood defences and drastically reduce the chances of further flooding.

Here is a quick edit for the flooding in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire that we filmed earlier. The scale of the flooding is huge.

Posted by Aerial Filming & Photography by The Drone Man – Kurnia Aerial Photography on Friday, 14 June 2019

Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt said: “The skilled RAF helicopter pilots and crew, have provided vital support to tackle the flooding in Lincolnshire. This will help the emergency services on the ground who are doing all they can to aid local residents.”

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police has issued information and help from LCC Public Health regarding the flooding here.

For the latest flood alerts and warnings for Lincolnshire click here.