A councillor is in the process of forming a group to help residents become more aware of floods after heavy rainfall.

Hexham Cllr Trevor Cessford is hoping to attract more participants to form a 'flood group' for Hexham residents to help monitor flooded area to alert authorities. 

The councillor is acting upon the recent events of flooding in Northumberland which happened on Sunday, February 20. A map of the flooded areas and pictures can be found on this previous article:https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/19938735.flooded-areas-northumberland/.

In 2019, despite The Environment Agency securing £5.2m for Hexham's Flood Alleviation Scheme which aims to reduce flooding by the River Tyne, residents are still worried about certain areas.

The Hexham Cllr is hoping the group will get residents to 'highlight' the areas needed and work together with authorities to alerts others quicker. The Cllr also wants to highlight it will be a 'notifying role' rather than a 'hands on' role.

Cllr Cessford said: "When the group will be established, there will be a lead flood warden, me at the present time, and a series of other flood wardens who will cover a particular area."

"They will have certain responsibilities and checks to carry out if and when flood situations arrive.

"This will be more of a monitoring and notifying role rather than a hands on role which of course will be carried out by the appropriate emergency services and/or highways staff.

"If anyone would be interested in being part of this group please contact me on 07375 056339.

"Initial meetings have been held with Colin Hall from the Environment Agency and hopefully we will be up and running very soon. At the moment I have a small group of people who are now signed up as volunteers but welcome enquiries from others. "

Residents can always check river levels themselves by visiting flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levels then putting 'Hexham' into the search box.

Additionally residents can check the River Tyne status by clicking the link of the GOV.UK website gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings