Floods: Situation 'stable' (From Witney Gazette)

Floods: Situation 'stable'

8:59am Sunday 20th January 2008 in Headlines

EMERGENCY planners said today they believed water levels had stabilised.

Two flood warnings, meaning the prospect of flooded homes, were in place on the River Thames in the county, covering the stretch from Lechlade downstream to Sandford Lock, south of Oxford.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman warned people to remain vigilant but said overall the picture was "stable".

He added: "Levels on the River Thames were expected to rise slightly to a peak yesterday before remaining at the same levels for coming days."

The Environment Agency had flood warnings on the Thames today from St John's Lock, Lechlade to Eynsham Lock, Eynsham and from there on to Sandford Lock, Sandford-on-Thames.

Flood watches, the next level down in the agency's alert system, were in place on the River Thame catchment, the Thames from Sandford Lock to Day's Lock, Little Wittenham and from there to Whitchurch Lock, the Ray and its tributaries from Shipton Lee to Islip, the Ray's catchment, the Evenlode's catchment, the Windrush's catchment, the Cherwell's catchment and the Ock's catchment.

Roads closed last night included:

• Godstow Road, between Wytham and Wolvercote Oxford: North Hinksey Lane (service road section) Kennington: Kennington Road
• The road from Clifton Hampden to Long Wittenham
• Islip: Lower Street
• South of Bampton near Chimney: Great Brook Road.

• A417 between West Challow (Mellors of Challow) to Stanford in the Vale
• A417 at Buscot Wick
• West Hanney: Denchworth Road.