In the last couple of years there have been several incidents of flooding in our roads. Across London extreme rainfall has led to widespread flooding. The records show days where a month’s rain fell on some parts of the capital in just one hour! Forecasters suggest that severe rainfall events of this nature are set to become more common due to climate change.

Testing Local Infrastructure

The speed, severity, and scale of this type of rainfall pushes local authority sewers, drains and gullies, beyond the limits they were designed to cope with. However  they are more likely to to clear surface water away if they are free from blockages and in good working order. 

Sometimes the cause of flooding that we have seen in our roads (recently at the junction between Tivoli and Glasslyn Roads) is not just located within the drains under the puddle but up the hill where blocked drains on Shepherds Hill send large amounts of additional water our way, compounding the problem. Flooding is most visible on the street but has also affected homes and gardens.

Improving The Drains & Gullies

We are not able to change the weather but can ensure that Haringey Council are aware of works that need to be done and remind them that regular maintenance can mitigate the impact. In September 2021 GMTRA contacted residents to compile a comprehensive list of flooding impacts to underline the scale of the problem in the preceding months and the urgency to take some remedial action. This was give to the council officials who attended our Zoom flood meeting in September.

Outcomes For GMTRA Residents

Following our meeting with the council drains have been cleaned also the gullies in the road – removing debris above ground keeps the water flowing underneath. Many of you will have seen from time to time there have been parking restrictions in our roads to facilitate this maintenance.

We have followed up this year by visually checking on drains and gullies and, with the help of our local Councillors, arranging for further clearing work to be done during the summer. We also circulated to residents the Council’s ‘Section 19’ report on the flooding.

The drains have seemed to cope better in heavy rain this year so far. We remain vigilant.