Much-anticipated Storm Henk flood investigation report published
The report by Central Bedfordshire Council details the impacts felt in January 2024 from flooding and outlines recommendations for future resilience
Last updated 1st Mar 2025
A report investigating the effects of Storm Henk has been published, detailing the impact of flooding across Central Bedfordshire and outlining recommendations to improve flood resilience.
Between 2 and 8 January 2024, Storm Henk brought exceptionally heavy rainfall to the region, exacerbating already saturated conditions caused by Storm Babet in October 2023 and Storm Gerrit in December 2023.
The additional rainfall led to widespread flooding, with overland flow and overwhelmed drainage systems playing a key role.
More than 35 areas experienced flooding, affecting properties, land, and roads, with 15 reports of homes being flooded internally.
The investigation, conducted under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, assesses the causes of the flooding and provides an overview of actions taken in response.
Contributing Factors
The report analyses rainfall levels, river conditions, and community impact, identifying contributing factors such as:
Surface Water Runoff: Excess rainfall unable to drain away due to already saturated ground.
Drainage Network Performance: Surface water drainage systems were overwhelmed, causing surcharging drains.
Ground Saturation: Persistent rainfall throughout December had left the ground unable to absorb additional water.
Foul Sewer Overload: Surface water and groundwater overloaded foul sewers, leading to reports of foul flooding.
Fluvial Flooding: Rivers and smaller watercourses overtopped in some areas, though major rivers mostly remained within their floodplains.
Affected Areas
Flooding reports were received from numerous areas, including Ampthill, Biggleswade, Flitwick, Leighton Buzzard, Sandy, and Shefford. However, the report focuses on areas with a high concentration of reports, particularly where internal flooding affected multiple properties, where repeat flooding has occurred, or where significant public highways were impacted. These include:
Caddington and Slip End
Blunham
Clophill
Eaton Bray
Maulden
Leighton Buzzard
Tempsford
Official Response and Actions Taken
Councillor Adam Zerny, Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, said:
"Storm Henk caused widespread disruption, with heavy rainfall and already saturated ground leading to surface water and river flooding across multiple communities. This report provides an important record of what happened and sets out key actions for the future.
"This is an important point at which to reflect upon the incredible work put in by volunteers, council officers and the emergency services, without which residents would certainly have experienced a far worse effect. We are working closely with all relevant agencies, including the Environment Agency, water companies, Internal Drainage Boards, and landowners, with whom we share a joint responsibility for flooding, to understand why these floods happened and what can be done to reduce the impact next time it happens."
Ongoing and Future Measures
Following Storm Henk, a range of measures have been implemented, including:
Highways Drainage Maintenance: Inspections and maintenance of gullies and drainage networks.
Community Engagement Initiatives: Strengthening communication with local communities regarding flood preparedness.
Watercourse Maintenance: The Internal Drainage Board and Environment Agency have carried out maintenance to improve water flow.
Multi-Agency Debriefs: Coordination between emergency services, council departments, and national agencies to improve response strategies.
At a Full Council meeting in February 2024, concerns were raised about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and their impact on local communities. The Council has called for more resources and policy changes to address flood risks.
Need for Community Involvement
Councillor Simon Ford, the Council’s flooding lead and Executive Member for Highways, who also attended several incidents as a firefighter, said:
"These events are becoming the norm. We have had 10 named storms in the last five months. We need to do as much as we can, working with local partners, to make every penny count as we support local residents and businesses to minimise the problems caused by floods and other extreme weather events."
The Council is urging towns and parishes to establish Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), which play a crucial role in providing immediate support to affected communities. There are currently 31 CERT groups in Central Bedfordshire, but with 79 town and parish councils in the region, the Council believes more could be set up. CERTs are supported by the Council’s emergency planning team and help coordinate local responses during emergencies, offering valuable knowledge on vulnerable residents and available resources.
National Response and Grant Eligibility
In response to the national impact of Storm Henk, the government launched a grant scheme to assist residents whose homes were flooded. However, Central Bedfordshire does not currently qualify, as the threshold requires more than 50 properties to have been internally flooded in a single event.
Councillor Zerny has contacted all town and parish councils to compile data on historic flood events, complaints, and mitigation efforts. He stated:
"Wherever I went, residents told me of the damage to their properties and the great upheaval it had caused to their lives. In many cases, there was praise for the emergency services, for the fire service, police, and for the Council’s own emergency responders.
"I have written to every town and parish council in Central Bedfordshire asking them to provide a list of where the worst flood damage was, where and when the same scenes had taken place in recent years, what complaints had since been raised and with whom, and what had been done. That will help us and our partners to identify what more we can do."
Strategic Approach to Flood Risk Management
The report takes a strategic approach, ensuring that flood risk management remains a priority while avoiding unnecessary concerns about property blight. Communities are encouraged to take proactive steps, including:
Signing up for flood alerts
Considering property flood resilience measures
Participating in local emergency response efforts
The Council continues to work closely with key partners to mitigate flood risks and ensure that lessons from Storm Henk contribute to stronger resilience against future extreme weather events.