The City of York has – rightly – published today its understanding of what happened and when during the critical days of the recent flooding.

Click to download

How Boxing Day events unfolded on Twitter click to view

This – and hopefully other – emerging information will help to focus minds at tomorrows public meeting (Barbican 6:00pm)

The “timeline” will raise some immediate questions.

Not least will be that, according to the Council, the Environment Agency started to raise the Foss Barrier at 1830 hours on 26th (Boxing Day).

However the Severe Flood Warning – which effectively told Huntington Road area residents that their properties were about to be flooded – was not issued until 1906 hours. (There had been a flood alert issued for “Huntington” at 1652 hours)

Water had apparently been entering properties in Huntington Road from 1700 hours and boat evacuation started at 1830 hours.

I remains to be seen what emerges from tomorrows meeting.

It is important that the Council captures the views and impressions of all those involved in the flooding.

It is equally important that, those who were affected, record their questions and views in a way which prompts improvement in the way we address flood risk (and which also drives the refinement of emergency planning processes).

The best way to do this may be to have an ongoing “virtual meeting”  using internet technologies.

A good start would be a web site where residents can record their questions and where the authorities can provide robust, evidenced, answers.

NB. The Council has still not said how many applications for grants from the Flood  Disaster Fund it has received nor how many grants have actually been made and for what amounts.