The River Rom in Collier Row Recreation Ground (credit: Patrick O’Sullivan)
The Rivers Rom, Beam, Ingrebourne, and Roding are all significantly higher than usual, with concerns they may break their banks.
The River Roding is currently more than double the depth that is usually is.
In normal conditions, the river is approximately 100cm deep. But pictures today show it is more than 230cm deep.
The last time the depth exceeded 2m was more than 10 years ago in February 2009.
The River Roding is more than a metre higher than usual (credit: Redbridge Council)
Twitter users in Havering have also raised concerns about the River Rom.
River Rom is full #Romford pic.twitter.com/vcfAh4RvTr
— Patrick O’Sullivan (@patric_sullivan) December 20, 2019
Flooding is expected around the River Roding in Barking, East Ham, and Redbridge, and the government is warning urgent action needs to be taken.
Flooding is also possible near to the Beam, the Ingrebourne, and the Rom. People are being advised to be prepared.
The government’s Flood Information Service said: “The River Roding has risen significantly and is expected to remain high throughout the day.
“Flooding to properties and low lying areas around Barking and East Ham is expected. Flood waters may be deep and fast flowing in all these areas.
“Residents are strongly urged to take action now. Remain safe and be aware of your local surroundings.
“Our incident response staff are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages. Please monitor local water levels and weather conditions.
“Consider putting your flood plan into action. You should avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.
“We have staff in the area and we will be closely monitoring the situation throughout the weekend.”
You can find the latest updates on flood warnings on the government’s flood warning website here.
Tags: Newham, Havering, Redbridge, Barking, East Ham, Barking and Dagenham
