Floods: Risks remain (From Witney Gazette)

Floods: Risks remain

2:45pm Saturday 19th January 2008 in Headlines

THE threat of flooding has eased overnight although some properties in the county are still at risk.

A Flood Warning remains in place on the River Thames from Lechlade downstream to Sandford lock, south of Oxford.

At 2pm today, agencies working to deal with high river water levels in Oxfordshire said the current picture across the county was 'relatively stable'.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said: "Levels on the River Thames are expected to rise slightly to a peak today, before remaining at the same levels for coming days."

The Bulstake Stream, in West Oxford, is also the focus of concern.

Homes off the Botley Road and Osney Island, Oxford, are reported to remain at risk of flooding, though there has been no damage caused to property overnight.

Other rivers in the county are on Flood Watch, the lowest level of alert.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said that there was less concern today about other areas like Witney and Bampton, which were seriously affected in the floods last July.

But he said the agency was stiil reacting to clear blockages, such as fallen trees.

He said although there had not been the widespread flooding that had been expected, rivers remained very high.