VIDEO: Looking back at the great Rotherham floods of 2007

IT was the week when Ulley and Catcliffe became household names - and Rotherham was left soaked by the biggest floods in a century.
The 2007 floods turned Rotherham Road at Parkgate into a lake.The 2007 floods turned Rotherham Road at Parkgate into a lake.
The 2007 floods turned Rotherham Road at Parkgate into a lake.

Hundreds were evacuated, homes were ruined, cars and caravans were spotting floating along streets which had turned into streams and the phone box outside the Plough pub in Catcliffe was featured on TV news bulletins as a sign of how far the tide had risen.

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Our video below features exclusive photos showing how the drama unfolded, as news editor Michael Upton relays the experience of reporting on the floods and their aftermath.

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This week, the Environment Agency said complacency on flooding was not an option — but defences and communication are better than ever.

The agency spoke as Rotherham was lashed by summer storms, although this time around the downpours had nothing on the astonishing weather in 2007 which left huge areas of the borough underwater.

A spokesman, who said the agency had 6,500 staff trained to respond to incidents, added: “We continue to learn and improve how we reduce the risk and impacts of flooding.”

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The EA teamed up with Rotherham Borough Council for its flagship £15 million anti-flooding scheme along the River Don and several other schemes.

Among these are specific protection for homes in Whiston, Aston, Aughton, Swallownest, drainage improvements in Wath, and a flooding warning gauge in Whiston.

The EA is also planning £3.3 million of investment over the next four years, which it says will protect 1,000 homes.

The flood alleviation scheme will be extended to Parkgate, a flooding regulator which can divert water away from Catcliffe will be refurbished and a feasibility study into whether to continue the riverside works to Kilnhurst will take place.

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There are also plans in the pipeline for a Herringthorpe Valley flood alleviation scheme.

The spokesman added that the EA had invested £6 billion across England on 1,000 new flood defences to protect 480,000 homes and businesses.

But he cautioned: “It is really important that communities and individuals understand their risks and have plans in place for emergencies they may face so that they are prepared and can take action themselves.”