Flood alert system to provide 'valuable minutes'

The trial will help develop an alert system for areas prone to surface water flooding

A new early warning system is to be trialled in Devon in areas prone to flash flooding.

It is hoped the alerts will give people "valuable minutes" to deploy flood gates and flood doors before heavy rain.

A pilot scheme will focus on predicting surface water flooding - when heavy rain falls on hard surfaces - rather than flooding from rivers or the sea.

Farmer Peter French, from Stokeinteignhead, near Teignmouth, said flooding in the village was responsible for "a lot of aggravation, mess and cost".

Project officer Gale Alexander said it is hoped the alerts will help communities become more prepared for flooding

The trial is part of the Devon Flood Resilience Programme (DRIP), which aims to help communities across the county be better prepared for flooding by "improving community resilience".

Gale Alexander, project officer, said: "We are already seeing the effects of climate change, with more intense rainfall events.

"There lots of small communities where hard civil schemes are not feasible."

Stokeinteignhead farmer Peter French is trying "to slow the flow" of water after heavy rain

Mr French, who has received support from DRIP, said he had changed how he manages part of his land to "slow the flow" and reduce run-off from fields.

"We feel it's our responsibility to do our bit to help reduce the flooding downstream," he said.

The communities taking part in the alert trial are Whitchurch, Southpool, Stokeinteignhead, Exton, Combe Martin, Kentisbeare, Hemyock, Kingsbridge, Hockworthy and Holcombe Rogus.

DRIP is funded by the Environment Agency's Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.

The first alerts will be sent to a small group of volunteers in each community in the next few months.

The system will then be refined and potentially expanded across Devon, said DRIP.