Winter weather: ice and potential flooding
Following a period of heavy rain and then sub-zero temperatures, our gritting teams have been very busy this week. So far, they have treated the primary and secondary routes 18 times during this current cold snap, spreading more than 1,600 tonnes of salt. They have also ensured 100 salt bins are topped up, so communities can treat any patches of ice locally as they occur.
More frozen temperatures are expected tonight (Friday 20 January) and into tomorrow morning, so we are asking residents to please drive carefully and think ice, especially where there is surface water.
We are also advising residents in areas at risk of groundwater flooding – particularly in the south of the county – to be prepared as water levels continue to rise.
There have been some flooding incidents in Wilton and Britford during the past week, and groundwater levels in the Salisbury Plain and Cranborne Chase areas are currently high. Although the weather is forecast to be mostly dry during the coming days, people in these areas should be prepared in case of groundwater flooding.
If your community may be affected, you should ensure that your flood plan is ready to put into action if required and that your flood wardens are prepared and ready to act. We are unable to supply sandbags in advance of any flood warnings. We do have a limited supply of sandbags for emergency use, but requests will be prioritised by level of need or vulnerability, and the protection of commercial property to prevent environmental pollution.
During the recent bad weather, our teams have been gritting and dealing with floodwater as a priority; it is anticipated that next week their priority will return to filling potholes. To report potholes, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts
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