Category Archives: flood

Unprecedented Flooding hits South Abingdon in 2024

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The rainfall in Abingdon between Saturday 23rd November and Sunday 24th November was 48.3 mm, with the heaviest fall of 5.5 mm between 6 pm and 7 pm on Sunday.

The Vale of White Horse, where the River Ock and its tributaries converge, may have had even heavier rainfall. The flooding peaked at 1.48 meters between 3:30 AM and 9:15 AM on Tuesday, November 26th. This is higher than the flood levels of September and January. The unprecedented three floods in a year are due to climate change, where once-in-a-century events are becoming more frequent.


The flooding in Mill Paddock looks more severe than September 2024, but less severe than the January 2024 flood, which was exacerbated by the flooding of the nearby River Thames.

The road flooding in Healey Close is worse then September and January.

The flooding on Chaunterell Way appears to be as severe as it was in September.

This area, including parts of Nash Drive and Orpwood Way, is the most severely affected.

Medlicott Drive has road flooding, and some residents have sandbagged their driveways.

With Chaunterell Way flooded, this road became the only way out of the estate. To prevent water washing towards garages and houses, residents patrolled the road to slow down traffic.

On the other side of Drayton Road, there is road flooding, and possibly property flooding in Tower Close.

The River Ock has also flooded the gardens in Meadowside.

The demolition of the footbridge and construction of a wall near St. Helen’s Mill has so far protected it from flooding. However people upstream are still looking for solutions as their lives are devastated by flooding again.

River Ock Flood Warnings

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At 6:44 pm there was a flood warning for Tesco and properties close to the River Ock. It said

‘Property flooding is expected. River levels are rising steadily on the River Ock following heavy rainfall from Storm Bert. Therefore, flooding of property and roads is expected overnight 25/11/24. Peak levels could reach similar levels to those seen in January 2024. Areas most at risk are properties located on Nash Drive, Meadowside and Chaunterell Way.’

By 8:15 pm Nash Drive had road flooding and the River Ock Monitoring Station level was at 1.37 meters and continued to rise. Flooding can happen above 1.31 meters.

This is the second flood in just two months, making it even harder for people who are still recovering from the last one.

There was a second flood warning. If the level goes any higher than 1.47 meters, even more properties could be flooded. It got to 1.46 meters on 25th September 2024 and watching the graph levels, it could get near that level again.

Abingdon Still Recovering from Floods

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One week after floods devastated an estate in South Abingdon, the path to Tesco remains underwater.

The water is still draining from fields and waterways.

Residents suffered significant damage, throwing out ruined furniture, carpets, and appliances. Recovery will take time. Some had just made the repairs from January’s event and there was more flood water this time. It reached many more homes.

Increased flood risk means the Environment Agency (EA) needs to update flood maps. Additionally, questions remain about why a container meant for flood response equipment was empty. Neither was a temporary flood barrier deployed this time or in January. In January, the EA said it couldn’t be deployed in time, and there was even less time last week.

Another important question to answer is whether the EA will reconsider the flood defence scheme rejected in 2018 due to lack of funding. The EA cited high costs and difficulty securing additional funding from partners for rejecting the flood storage area, the other side of the A34. Partners were local councils and businesses. That scheme was the outcome of a process that began with the 2007 flood and involved the development of various proposed solutions. But since it was rejected there have been no further investigation of long term solutions. Layla Moran, the local MP made a visit to the area, and said ‘It’s time to look again at the case for an Abingdon Flood Defence Scheme.’

Residents in Abingdon experience repeat flooding

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Residents in Abingdon faced repeated flooding, with several roads affected for the second time this year.

Homes in Chaunterell Way, Nash Drive, Orpwood Way, Medlicott Drive, and Francis Little Drive on the Ladygrove Estate have been flooded or come close to flooding, causing damage and disruption.

To mitigate the impact of flooding, local residents implemented makeshift roadblocks to prevent vehicles from splashing water into homes.

Sandbags, while useful in some cases, were insufficient to safeguard many homes as water came up through floors.

The financial burden and devastation on residents is substantial. Not to mention the worry.

Beyond the Ladygrove Estate, flooding also affected a small area of Tower Close, located on the other side of Drayton Road. (A drain expert had been called but could do nothing.)

Drayton Road was not very far from reaching tipping point and flooding properties.

The repeated flooding incidents in Abingdon highlight the need to look again at an effective flood management strategy to protect residents and their properties from the River Ock. A previous flood storage scheme was rejected as not being cost effective.