Posted on Thursday 21st January 2021
Staffordshire’s army of gritters were out in force across the county last night as freezing temperatures, sleet and snow hit the county once again.
Highways crews were also working to deal with fallen trees, debris on the road and surface water flooding, with the heavy and persistent rain caused by Storm Christoph.
A yellow weather warning for ice is in place until 10am this morning and a number of roads still remain affected or closed by flooding. If people need to travel they should take extra care.
Some of the roads affected by flooding include: Heath House Lane, Codsall; Furnace Grange Road, Trescot; A522 by JCB; and Pigeon Hay Lane, Uttoxeter, which is closed due to river flooding, Stubby Lane, Marchington; and Station Road A515 closed at the River Dove Bridge.
Crews also dealt with a number of fallen trees through the night, including one on Hincksford Lane in Swindon.
Roads affected by flash flooding yesterday may still be affected and include: Blackbank Road and Chemical Lane in Newcastle, Talke Road, Bradwell; Sandon Road and Weston Road in Stafford; Hill Lane, Morrilow Heath; Biddles Lane, Cranberry; Stafford Road, Gnosall; Bar Hill in Madeley; Uttoxeter Road, Beamhurst; Main Street in Tatenhill; Bickford Road, Whiston; Mill Road, Cheadle; and Yarnfield Lane, Yarnfield.
David Williams, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Last night was an incredibly challenging time for both our gritting crews and highways teams dealing with both the snow and the heavy rain which caused surface flooding.
“Gritters were out across the county for most of the night, supported by our hill contractors in the Staffordshire Moorlands, which saw most of the snow.
“Our Highways teams were also in action and continue to deal with significant flood issues on various parts of the network, where water courses and rivers have become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water. Whilst most roads remain open, some still remain closed or partially blocked due to the flooding but crews will be out again this morning to help keep them clear.
“Driving conditions will be very difficult over the day, so if you do need to travel please take extra care and drive to the conditions. I’d also ask people not to drive through any flooded sections of road, as you can never be sure how deep the water is.”
Crews are dealing with a significant number of incidents and People should only report serious flooding of roads or property on www.staffordshire.gov.uk, or on the MyStaffs App.”
Anyone with a property that has flooded or is at risk of flooding from the highway should report it at: https://apps2.staffordshire.gov.uk/web/reportfault/#divSelectionHeader .
If people are worried about river flooding they can also contact the Environment Agency by calling their FloodLine on 0345 988 1188. A live list of current river flood alerts and warnings issued by the Environment Agency can be found on gov.uk's webpage.