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The Environment Agency has created this page to inform interested parties about what has been done and is planned in Debenham, Framlingham, Needham Market and Wickham Market since Storm Babet in October 2023.
Storm Babet was an extreme event which caused significant disruption to communities across Suffolk between 18th-21st October 2023.
A succession of weather fronts between the 11th and 13th of October 2023 brought significant rainfall to the region. Readings indicate between 30mm and 50mm of rain fell across Suffolk compared with an average of just less than 65mm across the whole month of October according to Met Office weather data (Met Office, 1991-2020). This significant rainfall in a short space of time resulted in saturated land and rivers reaching their capacity. Shortly after this, Storm Babet followed on the 18th to 21st of October 2023. The storm brought between 50mm and 80mm of rain to much of central and north east Anglia, with some Suffolk weather stations recording the wettest October day on record.
Environment Agency river level measuring stations indicated many flows close to or exceeding their highest on record, and the weather remained wetter than average for the rest of the month. October 2023 was the joint wettest on record in the east of England since 1871. During Storm Babet, Suffolk saw the heaviest rainfall across East Anglia causing significant flooding of roads and properties. The river systems rose rapidly across whole catchments due to the existing conditions, which was unusual as storms will often impact a small area and result in a steady progression of flood water downstream. A major incident was declared by the Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF), in the afternoon of the 20th October 2023 due to significant impacts on communities and disruption to the road and rail networks.
The following maps illustrate the average rainfall in East Anglia between July and October 2023 against the historical average monthly rainfall.
Average rainfall in East Anglia between July and October 2023
The community pages located to the right will provide more detail on what actions have been taken since Storm Babet in Debenham, Framlingham, Needham Market and Wickham Market.
You will also find some useful links under 'Be prepared' which provide information on how to find out if your home is at risk, sign-up for flood warnings and be ready to take action.
The Environment Agency has created this page to inform interested parties about what has been done and is planned in Debenham, Framlingham, Needham Market and Wickham Market since Storm Babet in October 2023.
Storm Babet was an extreme event which caused significant disruption to communities across Suffolk between 18th-21st October 2023.
A succession of weather fronts between the 11th and 13th of October 2023 brought significant rainfall to the region. Readings indicate between 30mm and 50mm of rain fell across Suffolk compared with an average of just less than 65mm across the whole month of October according to Met Office weather data (Met Office, 1991-2020). This significant rainfall in a short space of time resulted in saturated land and rivers reaching their capacity. Shortly after this, Storm Babet followed on the 18th to 21st of October 2023. The storm brought between 50mm and 80mm of rain to much of central and north east Anglia, with some Suffolk weather stations recording the wettest October day on record.
Environment Agency river level measuring stations indicated many flows close to or exceeding their highest on record, and the weather remained wetter than average for the rest of the month. October 2023 was the joint wettest on record in the east of England since 1871. During Storm Babet, Suffolk saw the heaviest rainfall across East Anglia causing significant flooding of roads and properties. The river systems rose rapidly across whole catchments due to the existing conditions, which was unusual as storms will often impact a small area and result in a steady progression of flood water downstream. A major incident was declared by the Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF), in the afternoon of the 20th October 2023 due to significant impacts on communities and disruption to the road and rail networks.
The following maps illustrate the average rainfall in East Anglia between July and October 2023 against the historical average monthly rainfall.
Average rainfall in East Anglia between July and October 2023
The community pages located to the right will provide more detail on what actions have been taken since Storm Babet in Debenham, Framlingham, Needham Market and Wickham Market.
You will also find some useful links under 'Be prepared' which provide information on how to find out if your home is at risk, sign-up for flood warnings and be ready to take action.
Average rainfall in East Anglia between July and October 2023