A look back: Recovering from the Boxing Day floods

Boxing Day 2015 is a day that residents of Salford will not soon forget. Storm Eva arrived on Christmas Eve, bringing high winds and heavy rain across Greater Manchester. The Met Office issued flood warnings to the North West after a month’s worth of rain fell in just a couple of days.

Barbara Miles, 83, was one of the people whose lives were turned upside down by the devastation that followed the floods. She remembers where she was when they hit her home in Lower Broughton.

“As I was doing the washing up and looking out the kitchen window, I saw lots of people walking towards the river. I went to the door to see what they were looking at and just at that moment, I saw water coming over from above the wall by the river.

“I said to my son to put something behind the door to stop it coming in, but nothing we put there made a difference. It was coming up through the vents too – it was unstoppable.”

Across Greater Manchester2,250 homes and 500 business were flooded during Storm Eva, with more than 31,200 properties losing power.

Over the next three months, nearly 300 Salix Homes’ properties went through a major programme of improvements to refurbish the homes, bringing in contractors – Emanuel Whittaker, Seddon andA.ConnollyLtd to accelerate the work.

Barbara said, “After the flood waters went down, it was awful. There was ankle deep mud all over the ground floor. We had months of workmen in and out and dehumidifiers running around the clock.Salix Homes’ response was greatthough and the workmen werereally nice. I got a new kitchen and new floors, which I got to choose for myself, plus they’ve also fitted flood doors – I never want to test them out but they are meant to be very good.”

Tohelpprotect Salford from the next big storm,the Salford Flood Storage Reservoir wasbuilt on the site of the old Manchester Racecourse in Kersal.

The£10 millionbasin was created in partnership with the Environment Agency(EA), Salford Council and University of Salford.It was so effective during Storm Ciarain February 2020, that the EAlifted its flood warning after only a few hours.

Barbara said: “I’ve lived in this home since it was new, so for about 40 years, and Boxing Day was the first time that it had ever flooded.

“I was lucky that I had home insurance, I know lots of people who didn’t and it’s hard to start over again without it. Even with insurance, you can’t replace precious things like family photos or videos.”

Lee Sugden,CEOof Salix Homes “I’d say Boxing Day 2015 is one of the biggest datesin Salix Homes’ history.There was a real Dunkirk spirit, witheveryone fromresidents, Salix Homes’ employees, the council, other housing associations, the Environment Agency and the emergency services pulling together to try and protect residents and their properties.

“We had more than 80 employees volunteer their time over Christmas -which equalledabout150 days’ worthofsupport-andI’mstillreally proudof this to this day.”

Click here to read the original article Home sweet home for Salford flood victim.