Clean-up continues in Ramsbottom as town recovers from Storm Bert

Clean-up operations are underway in Ramsbottom after the town was hit with heavy rain and flooding over the weekend.

The most affected areas were those lining the River Irwell, which burst its banks on Saturday (November 23) after Storm Bert brought a downpour to the region.

But this was also accompanied by milder temperatures, causing snow and frost to rapidly thaw which added to the groundwater.

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The M.E.N previously reported that a flood warning was issued north of Ramsbottom at around midday on Saturday with residents urged to 'act now' as the river level rose above 2 metres.

One of the hardest-hit areas was North Street in Strongstry Bridge, a row of sandstone Victorian cottages looking over a brick wall onto a bend in the Irwell. Neighbours said the river burst its banks on Saturday afternoon and flooded all but the last three houses on the street.

The Irwell was much lower today but still fast-flowing, and the adjoining road strewn with mud, leaves and debris. Front gardens down the street were piled with ripped-up carpet, floorboards, curtains and even sodden sofas caught in the deluge.

Resident Alan Jones was hosing down the pavement outside his house with a jet washer, while a few houses down the sounds of hammering and banging could be heard as neighbours ripped up floorboards and carpet.

"The river was ridiculously high," Alan told the M.E.N. "It was about a foot away from coming over the wall. And it came through right quick."

Alan said he had known about the flood warning already - but then "quite suddenly" it turned to red. "Then within thirty minutes, it was flooding up the street."

The 69-year-old has lived in this street since 1984 and has seen many floods in his time. "It happens every three years or so," he said. "I've got no carpet on my ground floor, and flood-proof floor tiles. You've got to be prepared."

"I've seen people on Facebook saying the floods are because they're building on the green belt," he laughed. "These houses were built in the 1850s!"

Nearby, two neighbours were stood assessing the damage to their houses. "It happens about every four years," the two women agreed. "The worst thing about it is the dirty water it brings in - and the smell."

A mile and a half away in Ramsbottom, the Kenyon Street industrial estate hugging the bank of the Irwell looked almost back to normal. But several residential properties on the estate also flooded on Saturday, with several still bearing makeshift plywood flood defences on their doorsteps.

Steve Marsh, who lives on Kenyon Street near where it meets Peel Brow, said that the bottom floor of his home started flooding at around 1pm, reaching 2 inches.

He previously told the M.E.N he'd spent £90,000 on flood defences for his property following the Boxing Day floods in 2015 when his home first flooded and the water level in his basement reached 49 inches. He said: "Other than that, it never used to do it. It's just a pain in the arse, isn't it?"

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News shortly before 5pm on Saturday, Ramsbottom councillor Gareth Staples-Jones said Bury council had deployed three emergency vehicles and mobilised on-call staff to help tackle the floods.