December 29, 2023 9.30 am

How Storm Babet overwhelmed Lincolnshire, and the lessons yet to to be learned

Lessons from Storm Babet: Looking back at Lincolnshire’s flood response
An aerial view of the flooding around Horncastle | Photo: TheDroneMan.net

Earlier this year, Horncastle residents went to sleep soundly, knowing their brand-new £8m storm defences would protect the town. However, on Friday, October 20, Storm Babet’s deluge brought two months’ worth of rain.

Waterways in the town overflowed, putting properties in areas like East Street underwater; businesses further up High Street watched with cautious eyes as the waters rose towards them. It turns out there was a malfunction or human error in the new £8.1m Flood Alleviation Scheme, which meant a sluice gate did not operate automatically as it should have.

Read the full story on MyLocal Lincolnshire, the new home of The Lincolnite