Flooding: River Frome flood alert and county road closures (From Hereford Times)

Flooding: River Frome flood alert and county road closures

10:56am Friday 6th July 2012 in News By Lauren Rogers

With a month's rain due to fall in Herefordshire today flooding is causing problems across the county.

The Environment Agency have issued a flood alert for the River Frome in Herefordshire, after the level at the Bishops Frome gauge was 0.58 metres and rising at 8.30am this morning, with it due to peak at 1.1 and 1.4 metres this afternoon.

Residents have been evacuated from five properties in Smallbrook Gardens in Ross-on-Wye and the council are working with Herefordshire Housing to provide food and accomodation to those who need it.

There are still road closures in place throughout the county.

Here are the latest road closures (Updated 10.30am)-

• C1039 - Yarpole village - Closed.
• C1039 - Kingsland to Yarpole - Deep water - Open.
• B4361 - Rose Bank to Orleton Village - Passable with care.
• C1046 - Orleton Village - Passable with care.
• B4362 - Mortimer’s Cross to Bircher Village - Passable with care.
• B4362 - Combe - Flood boards erected, open.
• A4110 - Yatton to Wigmore - Flooded.
• A4110 - Wigmore Village - Passable with care.
• A4113 - Walford - Passable with care.
• U70663 - Smallbrook Gardens, Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Roman Way - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Redwood Close - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Archenfield Road - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Bill Mills - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Glewstone - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• Tudor Rise - Ross on Wye - Flooded.
• B4348 - Wormelow - Flooded.

Herefordshire Council has advised residents requiring sandbags to contact their parish council in the first instance. Motorists are urged to take extra care when travelling as many roads are affected by excess surface water and conditions are liable to change at short notice.

Drivers should:

• Listen to the local and national radio for travel information.
• Tell someone at your destination what time you expect to arrive.
• Remember that in wet weather stopping distances are at least double those required for stopping on dry roads
• Keep well back from the vehicle in front, so you have the time and distance to break safely.
• If steering becomes unresponsive it probably means the water is preventing the tyres from gripping the road, ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.
• Remember the rain and spray from vehicles makes it difficult to see and be seen, so adjust your speed and drive more slowly and use your headlights.
• Do not enter floodwater, as there is no way of telling how deep it may be. This applies if you are on foot as well as in a vehicle - manhole covers may have been loosened or removed so there could be extremely dangerous hidden hazards in floodwater.
• Please respect road closure signs - they are there for your safety and mean the road is impassable.
• Avoid any non-essential journeys.

Find up to date travel infomation here - Live Traffic.