A Flood Alert for groundwater flooding in Kimpton and Lilley Bottom was issued by the Environment Agency on 19 December 2024 and updated on 8 January 2025.
Groundwater levels in the area are unusually high for this time of year. Communities are at risk of being affected by flooding from groundwater. Low lying land and roads are at risk of flooding. Levels are expected to remain high over the coming months due to high rainfall.
Prepare for flooding
Visit GOV.UK for guidance on preparing for flooding - you can:
Protect your home
Flood defence products are available to buy online. Hydrosacks and Hydrosnakes are modern alternatives to sandbags and are available from various retailers. Blue Pages has more information about products and services available.
Sandbags: we do not provide sandbags to residents. Homeowners are responsible for protecting their properties in the event of a flood.
More information and guidance on protecting your home:
- Protecting property from flooding (Met Office)
- Adapting your home or business to the risk of flooding (GOV.UK)
- Protecting your property (National Flood Forum)
Get flood warning alerts
Project Groundwater is running a trial for a Groundwater Flood Warning System, which is now available in Kimpton. It provides current and forecast groundwater levels, plus flood warning alerts directly to your device.
Groundwater flooding
Groundwater flooding occurs when water gathers beneath the ground, causing the water table to rise and reach the surface. Underground rooms, such as cellars and basements, are particularly at risk. Flooding may occur for a long time (possibly weeks) until the water table naturally falls.
Find out more on GOV.UK about groundwater flooding, how it might affect you and what to do.
What to look out for
When groundwater flooding occurs, it can be identified by some or all of the following signs:
- Groundwater is normally clear water
- Ponds are overflowing
- Water is bubbling up at the surface
- Water is seeping out of the ground or through basement walls
- Flood water remains for a long period of time (days to weeks)
- The flooding is seasonal or during prolonged wet weather
- Flooding does not occur immediately after a very intense storm but does during long periods of wet weather due to saturated ground
- In the winter look for water that is steaming, as groundwater is warm all year round at about 10-15C, so is unlikely to freeze
Further guidance
For more information on what to do during or after a flood, see our Flooding page.