Environment Agency staff are working with local authorities to help recovery efforts in in flood-affected communities
In an update released yesterday, the agency said that it is moving its focus from flood protection to recovery as the risk of further deluges recede.
It said that its teams are continuing to pump floodwater from affected areas to allow residents to get back into their homes as soon as possible.
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Clare Dinnis, flood duty manager at EA, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the flooding.
“We are working closely with local authorities and partners to help communities get back on their feet.”
Over the weekend nearly 400 Environment Agency staff operating out of six incident rooms responded to the incident using 46 high-volume pumps, according to the update.
Dinnis claimed that more than 22,000 properties had been protected from flooding during the recent incident, due to its flood schemes and warnings.
The agency’s engineers are also using aeroplanes with light detection and ranging technology to scan and map the affected areas, according to EA.
This work will help staff identify any damage to flood defences before manual inspections are carried out, according to the update.
However, although flood risk was reducing as of Monday afternoon, the agency said that river catchment levels remain high.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 25 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - remained in place, along with 64 flood alerts, advising communities to be prepared as flooding is possible.
Dinnis said: “Despite the improving picture, we ask communities to remain vigilant to the risk of flooding as rain from recent days flows through river systems. Please continue to check flood warnings.”
Last week, the agency reported that five ultra-high volume pumps were fully operational in the South Yorkshire town of Fishlake pumping out 16 cubic metres of water per second.