One year since major flooding hit Jersey

The government said in the past year, work had been done to "mitigate potential future flooding"

Jersey is marking one year since heavy flooding affected parts of the island.

A major incident was declared on 17 January 2023, with 50 families forced to leave their homes.

The government said work had been done in the past year to "mitigate potential future flooding" and to better inform residents. 

It said improved early warning systems were now in place, and had been put into practice for a flood alert at the beginning of January.

Other improvements include work to contain excess water within the impounding pond at Les Vaux to reduce the risk of flooding to nearby properties.

Monitoring of water levels throughout the catchment area has also been worked on.

Government engineer Andy Downie said residents in the area should sign up to the email contact warning list.

"We'll notify if there's a risk of any flooding coming, look after your homes, check the weather and listen to the government's advice", he said.

'Any necessary action'

In a severe weather warning event, Jersey Met would contact the government and other agencies by email as an initial alert, officials said.

The government said: "Grands Vaux is the island's largest valley and is an area known for historical flooding.

"No guarantee can be given that flooding will not happen again in the future," the government added.

However, it added that itself, Andium, Jersey Water and the parishes had worked together to identify and manage flood risks, and to take "any necessary action to keep people safe and minimise damage". 

Actions included using sensors to alert when water levels rose, keeping drains clear of debris, supplying sandbags, informing residents and investigating permanent flood defences and mitigation for the future.

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