Live updates: Whaley Bridge evacuated as dam wall collapses

Summary

Workers race to drain water from Toddbrook Reservoir
Nearby Whaley Bridge evacuated yesterday when heavy rain damaged dam wall
Around 1,500 people are thought to have left the town
Fire crews pumping water out while Chinook helicopter helps shore up wall
Reservoir level reduced by more than half a metre so far
PM Boris Johnson arrives to meet those affected
Residents to be allowed home to collect belongings
Roads around town remain closed and trains disrupted

Live Reporting

Nick Smith

No definitive estimate of how fast area would floodpublished at 18:55 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Police say that it's difficult to put an exact time on how quickly the area would flood in the event of the Toddbrook dam giving way.
At tonight's press conference, assistant chief constable Kem Mehmet said: "As you can appreciate with the amount of water that the reservoir holds, if that dam gives it will be fairly quick.
"Plans are being worked through just around how far that water travels and at what rate but our key focus is to get people out of that line of water.
"In terms of how quickly that water displaces, it’s very difficult to say."
Thunderstorm warning issued for Sundaypublished at 18:36 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
Potential bad news over the weekend.
The Met Office is predicting rain in Whaley Bridge starting on Sunday afternoon and continuing into the evening, with yellow warnings for thunderstorms.
Image source, Met Office
Dam's integrity at 'critical level'published at 18:36 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
At tonight's press conference, police stressed that the dam wall is still at risk of collapsing.
Assistant chief constable Kem Mehmet said: "The structural integrity of the dam is at a critical level and there’s still a substantial threat to life.
"Please heed police advice and stay away from Whaley Bridge."
Whaley Bridge helpline to be available from tomorrowpublished at 18:32 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
A helpline for people affected by the evacuation will be launched by Derbyshire County Council.
It will be available to all Whaley Bridge residents and will be open tomorrow from 09:00 to 22:00.
The number will be 01629 533 190.
Police plan to allow residents to collect belongingspublished at 18:21 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
BBC News
Speaking at tonight's press conference at the University of Derby, Derbyshire Police assistant chief constable Kem Mehmet said: "We will be putting plans in place for residents to return to their addresses for a very short time, in a very controlled manner, to collect belongings.
"We will be restricting it to one person per household.
"[The plans are] being worked through at the minute and the residents will be informed when it’s in place."
Joint press conference about to startpublished at 18:14 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Laura Foster
BBC Look North
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Investigation into dam collapsepublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC News
The Canal and River Trust has said there will be a full investigation into the cause of the dam wall collapsing at Toddbrook Reservoir.
Image source, Canal and River Trust
Julie Sharman, chief operating officer, said: "One of the things that we'll do once we've stabilised the situation and got people back into their homes will be to do a full investigation and understand the actual reason for the failure.
"There has been exceptional rain in this area over the last 36 hours and that's obviously been a big contributing factor."
Mountain rescue team hard at work in Whaley Bridgepublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
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Calls for infrastructure to respond to climate changepublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
The World at One
BBC Radio 4
The chair of the National Infrastructure Commission has recommended the government adopts a "national standard of risk" due to the increased risk of flood and extreme weather.
Sir John Armitt said: "All the indications are that we have climate change and more and more regular extreme weather events to deal with as a consequence.
"The government has asked us to look at the resilience in the longer term of our infrastructure."
Image source, @fraglast
He added: "When it comes to flood, and you really have to feel for the people in Whaley Bridge, we have recommended we try to adopt a national standard of risk, which is a higher level of risk which we have to manage and accept and be able to cope with that in the future.
"If we have a national standard we can raise our ability to be resilient to this increased risk of flood with extreme weather and heavy rainfall."
Hundreds of sandbags heading to reservoirpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC News
A local building supplies company has been called on to help out with supplies of 25kg sand bags.
Markovitz is taking 1,500 of them to the scene.
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Manchester police urge residents to stay alertpublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
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Mountain rescue highlights team effortpublished at 16:52 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
An Instagram post by Buxton Mountain Rescue has highlighted the number of teams and individuals that have come together to help in Whaley Bridge.
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Train lines could stay closed until Mondaypublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Trains are cancelled between Hazel Grove, Marple and Sheffield due to the ongoing risk of the dam collapsing at Toddbrook Reservoir, according to National Rail.
"We don't have a firm estimate of how long this incident will last; however, the emergency services are advising that the line could remain closed until the end of the day on Monday 5 August," the organisation said in a statement, external.
Couple fear losing house to dam collapsepublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC News
Tim and Julie know their house is at risk because they live just 30 feet from the River Goyt at Whaley Bridge.
Tim told the BBC: "If the dam went I don't think we'd have a house to be honest."
Last week's rainfall more than double the total July averagepublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
BBC Weather
The closest rain gauges to the Toddbrook Reservoir recorded more than double the month's expected rainfall in just a week.
According to Environment Agency data, the gauge at the Cat and Fiddle Inn on the Derbyshire-Cheshire border recorded 210.8mm of rainfall between 26 July and 1 August, while the gauge at Hayfield New Mills saw 177.2mm of precipitation.
The Met Office say the average for the month of July in Buxton from 1981-2010 was 87.8mm.
Image source, PA Media
Measuring device removed to allow water out of reservoir fasterpublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
A measuring device in a weir has been removed to allow the faster flow of water away from the reservoir's main spillway.
The concrete device is V shaped and and sits in the middle of the channel to measure the flow of the water.
It was slowing water down so it has been removed, the Canal and River Trust said.
Image source, Duncan Fife
Rail services remain suspendedpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
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Residents meeting to be held this eveningpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Nick Smith
BBC News Online
A meeting is to be held at Chapel High School this evening where emergency services will be available to answer questions from Whaley Bridge residents, police have said.
Derbyshire Police say anyone who has been displaced and has not already attended the evacuation point at the school can still do so.
RAF called in as crews race to save damaged dampublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
About 1,500 people have fled their homes in Whaley Bridge, fearing the reservoir will flood the town.
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Tesco donates supplies to volunteerspublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 2 August 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC News
Local businesses are continuing to help with the ongoing situation in Whaley Bridge with donations of food and drink.
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