A shopkeeper in a Suffolk town flooded out by Storm Babet has described action to clear 8,412 drains since the deluge as 'after the horse has bolted'.
Framlingham businessman Bill Bulstrode said he had been talking 'for years' about the possibility the town would be flooded, but his warnings were not heeded.
On October 20, the dire prediction came true when Framlingham Mere burst its banks during heavy downpours, flooding roads and homes and forcing residents to seek sanctuary elsewhere.
READ MORE: Suffolk town's response during Storm Babet praised
But the storm had a similar impact across the county, with other towns and villages experiencing flooding, such as Needham Market, Debenham and Cavendish.
Suffolk County Council has revealed that 4.7 million litres of water was pumped away during the storm, while 8,412 drains were 'cleared and jetted'.
A further 121 trees blocking roads were removed, while flood water was cleared from 198 locations and 1,200 potholes were repaired in roads and pavements.
But Mr Bulstrode said: "I have been talking about this for months and years. They said 'it will never happen here' but it is famous last words."
He added some of the drains in Framlingham were still blocked, while he had been calling for the River Ore to be dredged since before the flooding.
"I think there is a lot of talk going on, but it would be lovely to see some action. Years ago, clearing the river was done by hand but today there are machines that could do this in no time at all," Mr Bulstrode said.
The county council's Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent Group (GLI) was also critical of the maintenance of ditches and gullies and drain clearance, while expressing gratitude for the work of council staff since the flooding.
The group's leader Andrew Stringer said: “It’s truly incredible how our officers have responded so quickly to help Suffolk residents and clear flooding and debris.
"They deserve our gratitude and respect.
"However, as many people know, some flooding was aggravated by works that had been delayed or simply not undertaken, like clearing drains and ensuring that new developments have adequate drainage systems installed.
"Many of the older drainage systems are over 50 years old and a dedicated programme of preventative works is needed to ensure that they are able to cope with the increasing capacity of water from changing UK weather patterns."
READ MORE: Framlingham news
Steve Wiles, the county council's deputy cabinet member for highways and drainage, said: “Storm Babet was an exceptional and sustained downpour, with water running off fields and overwhelming riverbanks and roadside ditches and exceeding the capacity of road drains as more than a month’s worth of average rainfall for East Anglia fell in just 24 to 36 hours.
“The deluge of rain has needed significant additional work to clear and I am thankful to our highways staff for their hard work, especially in the areas worst hit.
“There is a significant amount of work being done by our district and borough council colleagues to help residents recover from the floods, including making payments from the Government’s flood relief programme.
"Eligible residents will start receiving grants and council tax discounts during November."
READ MORE: Suffolk news
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