Storm Barra: Flooding in Fareham sees the River Wallington burst its banks as roads become swamped

Flooding from the deluged Wallington River put Wallington Shore Road under knee-high waters after a tidal surge at midday – made worse by recent heavy rainfall and strong winds from Storm Barra.

Residents said that the flooding – which is an almost annual occurrence during high tides – was no worse than previous years, but this year it has once again come ‘unusually early’.

Alan Humphrey, a 76-year-old resident who has lived in the village for more than 35 years, said: ‘It’s a usual amount of flooding – but not for this time of the years. Usually happens in the spring.’

Stone walls, earth banks, and changes to road elevation were undertaken after widespread flooding in 2000 saw more than 20 homes breached by the rising waters.

Sitting in the Cob & Pen pub, which bears a plaque marking where the flood waters reached almost half way up the bar, Alan said a major concern was the flood’s impact on house sales.

The former chef said: ‘My home flooded with about 1.5 meters worth of water in 2000.

‘It cost us £32,000 – it was all covered by the insurance. It was a major headache because everyone had the same problem at the same time.

‘The local council’s response is always a worry – they seem to spend money on other stuff.

‘And it does put a lot of people off coming to live here.

‘We have to tell them its only flooded badly once in 20 years.’

SEE ALSO: Pictures and video show heavy flooding on major Portsmouth road

Resident Nicky Wylie, who has lived on the banks of the River Wallington for more than 16 years, said residents have ‘become used to it’, but each flood brings forth ongoing concerns about how defenses will cope should a major flood hit.

Follow all the Storm Barra updates in our live blog here – including the latest traffic

The 52-year-old NHS worker said: ‘We have become used to it. We have never been flooded here but the water can go right up to the back door.

‘We have shutters that go on the front and the patio door – but you can not stop it coming in. You can only delay it.

‘Our only defense is the flood defense wall – but it’s so small and it leaks everywhere. It’s a cause of concern.’

The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for the area, saying that the tide levels will remain elevated until the early hours of tomorrow.

The warning said: ‘Tuesday afternoon's tide is higher than normal due to unsettled weather with strong South Easterly Force 7 winds.7

‘The weather increases tide table values by 0.51 m. Flood water in Wallington Shore Road will be between 0.1 m and 0.2 m deep.

‘At 01:45 on (Wednesday) the tide level remains elevated, but it is unlikely to cause flooding to property. Cars should not park at the lower end of Wallington Shore Road.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.