FOR the second time in days the Rochdale Canal has flooded Hebden Bridge following a 90 minutes downpour, with all the Yorkshire navigable rivers in flood.
The town centre was under water on Monday after the rain, with properties flooded and roads closed. Electricity was lost in part of the town, Alan Tilbury tells us.
The problem is that a large water catchment area drains quickly, and
sometimes disastrously, into the narrow valleys below, we are told, swamping it and the canal.
Fear of damage
There is the fear that the intensity of the flood will have damaged the waterway, that is to be inspected as soon as possible. We hear of boaters who have abandoned their boats in the area, hoping that they will still be there when they return.
All over the country the navigable rivers are still in a dangerous condition, with boaters being advised to steer clear. Hire companies are warning hirers to avoid river sections, advising of alternative routes.