Northenden put on severe flood alert as river levels rise to record levels

Nearly 400 evacuation orders were handed out in Northenden and Didsbury due to the increased water levels in the River Mersey over the weekend. 

The Mersey reached a peak level of 3.32m at the water measuring station at Northenden on 21 March, the highest level ever recorded at the site. 

Residents were especially concerned as the weekend’s warnings echoed the flood alerts of last January, during which 2,000 homes in and around the area were evacuated as a similar set of warnings were put in place. 

However, flood defences stayed strong as the water remained within its banks. 

The concern for locals is that record-breaking river levels are becoming a common occurrence, as Northenden resident Joe Bolton explained: “It is scary, we don’t know when the next big floods will come and whether our homes will be damaged.”

Joe and his family were part of the larger evacuations last year.

“We were lucky this year, but last year we had to go and stay at a family friend’s house for a few nights until the river died down a bit,” he said.