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Laxey this morning

The Chief Minister has praised emergency services and the local community on the Island during ongoing flooding and stormy weather.

 

Emergency services, infrastructure teams and utility engineers have provided a front-line response to the torrential rainfall overnight and this morning. Flooding has caused disruption on roads around the Island and has required evacuation of a number of residents in Laxey unable to leave their homes. 

 

A major incident was declared in Laxey village after the river broke its banks this morning.

 

Police coordinated a response by emergency services and Coastguard partners to ensure the safety of all residents, some of whom are elderly. With no safe access to the village by sea or road for a time, a UK Coastguard helicopter was sent to the scene and remained on stand-by for several hours. 

 

A rest centre is being established by Civil Defence whose officers are working with Community health teams from the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure vulnerable people are identified and offered the help they need. A paramedic from Noble’s Hospital has been based in the rest centre alongside volunteers from St John Ambulance. Contingency arrangements are being made to support and staff the rest centre as the incident continues, in conjunction with Civil Defence.

 

Alternate accommodation is being found for those who need it, while fire crews pump out flooded homes. 

 

Regular messages have been posted by Isle of Man Constabulary on its social media channels to keep people informed about road closures and areas to avoid. 

 

Flooding led to the closure of two east coast primary schools, with Dhoon and Laxey schools informing parents and staff before the start of the school day. The situation continues to be monitored and a decision on whether the schools will open tomorrow will be made in due course. 

 

DOI teams have been deployed to clear debris from roads to keep major routes passable. This work included an operation to clear a small landslide on the mountain road, which is currently closed as is the Laxey to Ramsey coast road.

 

Updates will be provided throughout the day. There is no parking along Douglas Promenade walkway due to the conditions, and residents and business owners on Peel road have been urged to deploy flood defences.

 

Manx Utilities has been on-scene at Laxey and elsewhere, and turned off electricity supplies in areas where safety dictated. The Social Security office in Ramsey has been closed and clients asked to call 01624 685126 with queries that cannot wait.  

 

Chief Minister Howard Quayle is receiving regular updates on the disruption caused by the weather while on a planned visit to the Conservative party conference in Manchester. He will return earlier than planned first thing tomorrow and plans to visit Laxey to survey the scene and speak to local residents and those caring for them.

 

Mr Quayle has thanked emergency services for their efforts and sent his thoughts to all those affected.

 

An Amber alert for heavy rain from the Met Office remains in place until 4pm today.   

 

 

 

  

 

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