Watch latest drone footage from flooded holiday park in Northampton following devastation caused by Storm Henk
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Here’s what a flooded holiday park in Northampton looks like today (Thursday) following devastation caused by Storm Henk.
Billing Aquadrome, which sits on a flood plain, has been hit hard by the heavy rainfall in the first two days of the New Year.
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Hide AdOn New Year’s Day (January 1), residents and holiday makers were told to prepare to ‘evacuate immediately’, with many reportedly taking that advice.
The next day (January 2), the park’s flood sirens sounded and hundreds more fled for safety.
On Wednesday (January 3), the Environment Agency’s flood warning was escalated to “severe” and a “danger to life”. This has now been de-escalated, but there is still a flood alert in place.
This morning (Thursday, January 4), drone pilot Richard Durham flew over the site and captured the latest pictures of what it looks like.
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Hide AdRichard said: “It’s a lot better than what it was yesterday. Yesterday, some areas were underwater some areas were clear.
“I had a few messages come through asking me if I could use my drone to look at people’s caravans and see how bad it is. They sounded worried.”
Asked for his reaction on his footage, Richard added: “I’ve seen it before. It always floods.”
A multi-agency rescue operation was deployed yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) to recover the remaining 130 people who ignored warnings to evacuate the park.
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Hide AdDespite the authorities’ efforts, just 31 people, including two children, were rescued by fire crews, leaving an estimated 99 still on site.
Today (Thursday), a weather warning for rain has been issued for Northampton, which could lead to further flooding.
Met Office has issued the yellow warning from midday today until 3am Friday (January 5).
The weather authority says that another spell of rain falling onto saturated ground, “may lead to further flooding and travel disruption”.
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Hide AdAs well as the weather warning, a flood warning also remains in place for Billing Aquadrome and the surrounding area. The Environment Agency warns people in the area to “remain safe and be aware of your local surroundings” and to avoid contact with flood water. An update from the agency is due to be issued before 4pm today.
In November, the administrators temporarily responsible for Billing Aquadrome, Grant Thornton LLP, confirmed that residents and holidaymakers must leave the site on January 6 until February 6 as ‘required under the licencing agreement with the local authority to operate as a holiday park’.