2,000 Properties At Risk Of Flooding In York

26 September 2012, 10:34 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The Environment Agency have put 2,000 properties in York on flood alert as they expect river levels to rise again today.

There's already a lot of water in York city centre after heavy downpours lasting 48 hours.

A barge on the River Ouse in York sank near Museum Gardens after the River Ouse rose more than 3 metres (just over 11 feet) above normal.

Innis Thompson from the Environment Agency in Yorkshire's told Capital

"Water from the rivers Nidd, Swale and Wharf will all flow into the Ouse, creating a 'bottle-neck' effect in York.

Two thousand properties are on flood alert. This is a standard procedure to give people time to prepare and move valuables and the likes to higher ground." 

Firefighters say they've had more than 270 call outs as people became stranded in cars - with the main problem being people driving through flood waters which are deeper than people had been expecting.

River levels are expected to peak at around midnight tonight (Wednesday 26th September)

Roads across North Yorkshire were still badly affected this morning - a 40 mile stretch of the A1(M) from Dishforth to Bradbury's been closed in both directions for more than 24 hours.