Environment Secretary holds meeting with Environment Agency to bolster Storm Bert response

Secretary of State Steve Reed held a meeting with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy this morning to discuss the response to the flooding and ongoing plans to protect communities.

During the meeting, the Secretary of State was briefed on the latest situation on the ground, and the 24/7 response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. He also sought reassurance on the actions being taken to further protect communities in the coming days with river levels expected to rise in some places. Together they also discussed how to bolster the response from the Environment Agency, emergency services and local authorities if required.

This meeting comes after Storm Bert caused significant river and surface water flooding in parts of England over the weekend, especially in the South West, the West Midlands, and the Calder and Weaver Valleys in the North of England.

As of 11am on Monday 25th November, there is 1 severe flood warning, 137 flood warnings and 172 flood alerts in place. The Environment Agency estimates 23,400 properties have been protected, with heavy rain leading to around 100 properties being flooded.

Whilst Storm Bert subsides, people should remain vigilant as the forecast shows the overall flood risk for England continues to be medium for today, with ongoing river flooding expected.

The Government is working at pace to step up further preparations for this winter. They are investing £2.4 billion until March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country.

Lessons learned from these floods are being fed directly into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce to speed up the development of flood defences and bolster the nation's resilience to extreme weather.

The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:

This morning I held a meeting with the Environment Agency and am receiving regular updates on the response to flooding in parts of the country.

My sympathies are with all of those who have been impacted by Storm Bert.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding work that the Environment Agency and emergency responders are doing to keep people safe.

I urge people to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings and follow the latest guidance from emergency responders.

Katharine Smith, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Significant river flooding impacts are expected in parts of the Midlands and South West England today as rivers respond to heavy rainfall following Storm Bert. Localised flooding impacts are also possible more widely across England, which may continue in places until Wednesday due to further heavy rain.

Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and will support local authorities in their response.

We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at by searching 'check my flood risk', and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.

Across the country, Environment Agency officers are working round the clock checking flood defences, clearing debris and erecting temporary barriers. Minor impacts are possible more widely across England, which may continue in places until Tuesday.

We continue to monitor forecasts and impacts on water levels across the country. We urge the public to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and to consider the weather before travelling.

People can check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation, and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.

1. 25 November 2024

   Updated to reflect the latest situation.

2. 24 November 2024

   First published.