Introduction
We remain in a major incident with further Met Office warnings for rain tonight (Thursday) into tomorrow (Friday), and Saturday.
Further flooding of homes is possible, particularly in the Moorland, Saltmoor and Currymoor areas.
Partner agencies from the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) have held further strategic and tactical meetings throughout the day and Emergency Response Team and Link officers remain active in communities meeting residents, gathering intelligence and providing key information and advice to households in high-risk areas.
Please view previous updates here.
Emergency Response and Recovery Team
We are working with our partners, voluntary and emergency services so we’re ready to respond to any issues. The Council has redeployed staff from their usual duties to support the incident response.
On the ground support
- Door knocking and welfare checks are taking place in higher risk communities to:
- Share the latest information
- Encourage residents to prepare
- Identify any vulnerabilities or support needs
- Residents are being encouraged to consider staying with friends or family if they feel at risk, where possible.
- At this stage, rest centres are not required, but arrangements are in place should this change.
- Housing teams are working directly with anyone who cannot make their own arrangements.
- LCN Link Officers and other teams have been in Moorland and West Camel today
We are encouraging anybody affected by flooding to please report it here: Flood report – Self Service.
In an emergency residents should always call 999 immediately.
Multiagency cells are now fully stood up, including:
- Communications
- Search and Rescue
- Welfare
- Transport
- Logistics
- Intelligence/Data
Highways updates
Recovery clear-up work continues today across the county, most major roads are clear, there are still a number of minor roads impassable due to flooding.
The A361 and Levels roads remain closed.
The flooding has caused a large number of defects on roads across Somerset and our teams are working hard to assess these and fix them in order of priority.
If you spot a problem please ensure that these are reported here as soon as you can: Report a problem on the road. Please note this is the quickest way to report a problem.
We would ask for people to be patient during this time, urgent repairs to defects may at times cause some travel disruption, we are grateful for people’s understanding.
It is important that people do not drive through floodwater or ignore the road closure signs, even where the water has dropped, there may be hidden hazards of debris or damaged surfaces. We have also had reports of multiple abandoned cars in affected areas, which can hamper our efforts to reopen roads and slow access to affected communities.
Key road closures
(List correct at time of publishing)
- A361 – (East Lyng to Burrowbridge)
- A3066 North Perrott Road, Crewkerne
- Cutts Road (East Lyng to Athelney)
- Langport Road (Muchelney to Langport)
- New Road (West Lyng to North Curry)
- Lipe Road, Creech St Michael
- Oak Road, Bradford-on-Tone
- Clayhanger Cross
- West Yeo – Moorland
- Moorland Road, Moorland (to assist pumping operation)
- Thorney Road – Thorney to Mulchelney
- Wetmoor Lane, Load Road to Muchelney
- Westmoor Lane/New Road Hambridge
- Godney Road from B3151 to Godney Drove crossroads
Environment Agency update 29 January
Our staff are working hard against the impacts of Storm Chandra. The weather has been slightly better with 5mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
River levels have dropped but remain high across Somerset and are continuing to fill the moors. All spillways are running. This is an ongoing challenge as recent rain moves through the catchments and the Met Office have multiple yellow weather warnings in place for rain. The ground is saturated and the catchments will respond quickly.
Having initiated deployment ahead of trigger points being met, we have excess capacity in place to ensure evacuation of water is maximised whenever conditions allow. Our pumps can now remove water from the moors quicker than the system takes to fill the moor from further up the catchment. We are monitoring the situation closely, with teams working around the clock both in the field and in incident rooms to coordinate the response.
There are currently six flood warnings and 11 alerts are in force across Somerset. We encourage people to check details daily.
Across the whole of Somerset, around 50 properties have been reported as flooded. We are working closely with our partners to support affected households. Please check Travel Somerset social media feeds – Facebook (20+) Facebook and X (21) Travel Somerset (@TravelSomerset) / X for updates on the road network.
What we’re doing
- We’ll be at Moorland Village Hall tomorrow (Friday) 30/01/26 between 1000 – 1500.
- We’re installing temporary pumps overnight at Elson’s Clyce and are endeavouring to begin pumping tomorrow. To facilitate this we have a temporary road closure from 22:30 (29/01/26) until 06:00 (30/01/26). We anticipate the work taking less time than this and will open the road as soon as we can. Emergency access will be allowed as we realise this is the only route into the village.
- Six ultra-high volume pumps are already operational at Northmoor, two more pumps are being deployed today and should be operational this week.
- Temporary pumps at Saltmoor will be operational tonight.
- Extra staff, pumps and equipment from around the country are being deployed and we are scoping multiple sites across Somerset for additional pumps including Dunball.
- We are exploring a range of options for evacuation of water from the wider catchment, including optimising the Sowy flood relief channel.
- As a reminder, we cannot pump water into already full rivers above Burrowbridge. Once levels fall, we are ready to maximise the window of opportunity and operate the pumps.
What you need to do
To ensure your safety, please do not walk or drive through flood water. Flood water may be deeper than it looks and contain sewage and hidden hazards.
Somerset Council and partner agencies are asking residents and visitors to avoid travelling to or through flooded areas unless absolutely necessary.
We also ask dogwalkers to keep pets away from flooded paths, fields, and riverbanks. Animals can be swept away quickly, and rescuing them diverts emergency resources at a time of high demand.
Staying away from affected areas helps keep people safe and supports the countywide response effort. Thank you for helping us protect our communities.
Reporting helps organisations coordinate support and prioritise response. You can do this by calling the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 0800 80 70 60.
Preparing for flooding •
- Sign up for flood warnings at gov.uk/get-flood-warnings
- Call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for updates, to sign up for warnings, or to report flooding.
- Visit gov.uk/prepare-for-flooding for advice on what to do During a flood
- Call 999 if there is a risk to life
- Report flooding to:
Environment Agency (main rivers or sea): 0800 80 70 60
Somerset Council (ordinary watercourses): 0300 123 2224
Wessex Water (sewers): 0345 600 4600
Check for flooding updates at check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk
Visit gov.uk/help-during-flood or somersetprepared.org.uk for guidance
Forecast
A Met Office yellow warning for rain is in place for parts of Somerset overnight (Thursday) with a further warning in place for Friday into Saturday. More rain is forecast into the weekend falling on already saturated ground.
Further spells of wet weather are forecast throughout next week.
Waste collections
Crews have faced significant disruption today, with around 800 rubbish collections and approximately 4,000 recycling collections left incomplete. While flooding and associated access issues have contributed to delays, the recycling service has also been affected by unrelated operational and fleet issues that has significantly impacted collections. Teams will prioritise outstanding collections tomorrow, subject to conditions, with additional resources arranged where possible.
Keep an eye on social media for updates as the position may change quickly. Residents can also report a missed collection online, where details of recollection will be available: www.somerset.gov.uk/missed-collection
Schools
Some schools remain impacted, mainly due to road access rather than flooded school sites. For the latest information on school closures please visit School closures
Advice for residents
Our Communications Team is sharing information about where to find useful information for what to do to prepare for flooding.
Anyone worried about flooding or impacted by flooding can find advice and guidance at Flooding information and advice .
If there is serious risk to life due to flooding always call 999.
Anyone needing to leave their home due to flooding is reminded to take any medication they may need with them.
Do not drive through flood water. More information about safety during floods on the road can be found here: Adverse weather conditions
Reporting problems
To report flooding on a road or blocked drains on a road use our report a problem on a road form
If your property is owned by us and has been affected by flooding, please visit our Housing repairs page or you can phone us on 0300 123 2224.
For urgent housing needs please contact Somerset Council housing team on 0800 123 2224. Further information can be found on our website www.somerset.gov.uk/housing-support/homelessness-guidance/
Stay up to date
For the latest travel updates visit our Travel Somerset Facebook page or our Roadworks and travel information page
Find out the current status of roads that have Emergency road closure gates
