Over the weekend agencies from across Cumbria have well worked together to handle the severe weather brought to our county by Storm Isha.
On Sunday (21 January), Cumbria declared itself on standby for a major incident following an amber weather warning coming into effect for the entire county and the impacts of this storm are still being felt with high winds still being felt across the county today (Monday 22 January).
As such, partners are still working together to support any residents, communities and businesses affected by the weather including dealing with power outages, damage to our roads, fallen trees and flood warnings.
The public are still being asked to follow the advice being shared across social media and in the media to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.
Storm Isha has led to:
- Winds of over 80mph at Shap - with many areas in Cumbria getting winds of 70 mph.
- Road and rail disruption.
- Power outages.
- Disruption to roads and closures of some routes.
Chief Superintendent Carl Patrick, of Cumbria Constabulary, is chairing the Local Resilience Forum response. He said:
“This storm has had a significant impact on Cumbria, with numerous reports of highway disruption, people without power and issues with flooding. While the amber alert has passed and we appear to be through the worst, our multi-agency status of being on standby for a major incident remains.
“The public can be reassured that our multi-agency response has been running for several days in preparation for this and all agencies continue to work together to protect our communities. But people should be aware a further yellow warning of wind is in place for tomorrow afternoon, running on into Wednesday afternoon.
“While this is not as serious as the warning issued yesterday we remain concerned about this coming so soon after the previous alert, with recovery work still underway and issues such as trees already weakened.
“Our advice remains the same over the next few days – we would ask people to prepare and follow the guidance being given in the media and on social media to minimise the ongoing impact.
“Please make yourselves aware of the key contacts and ensure any vulnerable people within our communities are also aware and prepared.
“We would ask people to check on any vulnerable friends, family and neighbours following last night’s events and over the coming days to make sure they are safe and well, or if they need any assistance.”
Storm Isha is now moving on, but attention is now shifting to the next weather system coming in. At the moment another storm is due on Wednesday (24 Jan). Named Storm Jocelyn, this will be the 10th named storm in the 2023/24 season.
As such Residents are still being asked to:
- Secure any loose items around your home and garden, such as rubbish bins, trampolines, plant pots and garden furniture, to minimise the risk of floating debris and damage.
- Speak to vulnerable relatives, friends and neighbours – advise them and ensure they are prepared in case of power outages.
- Stay away from the fells well in advance of the affected times to keep you and mountain rescue volunteers safe.
- Do not drive through flood water if coming across flooding – take an alternative route.
- Check your torch batteries, radio and try to ensure phones are charged up in advance of the affected times.
- Park vehicles in a garage if available – otherwise keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences if possible.
- Be aware of the latest weather warnings and avoid planning travel during this time if possible.
- If you must travel during this time do so with caution - pack your car with essentials, plan your route and listen to travel updates.
- Do not touch any telephone or electrical cables that may have blown down.
To report any issues - or if you need help for yourself or someone vulnerable - please see the following agencies’ updates and contact details.
For the latest information and updates please follow:
- Cumbria police on twitter/X @CumbriaPolice or on Facebook here
- Cumberland Council Twitter/x at @CumberlandCoun and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CumberlandCouncil1
- Westmorland and Furness Highways Twitter/X at:https://twitter.com/WandFHighways and Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/WestmorlandFurnessCouncil/