Evacuation Day: Remembering Whaley Bridge flooding threat

It is exactly six years ago this week that the pages of the Glossop Chronicle were dominated by the unfolding drama in Whaley Bridge.

For on August 1, 2019, fears grew that Toddbrook Reservoir, badly damaged by heavy rain, could fail, collapse and flood the town below.

Even though all roads to the village were closed and parts of the town evacuated, our reporter at the time, David Jones, found a way through to watch the drama unfold firsthand and speak to those directly affected.

“Roads leading to Whaley Bridge from all directions were closed as police prevented anyone except emergency vehicles and key workers essential to the town and its residents’ safety gaining access,” recalled David.

“There was a real fear among residents inside the beleaguered town that the huge dam wall at Toddbrook Reservoir would be breached and that millions of gallons of water would flood the valley below.

“People were hurriedly preparing to hastily pack such essentials as medications ready to be transported to evacuation centres should the worst happen, and pet owners worried they may have to leave animals home alone.

“Many Whaley Bridge people worked outside their hometown and were being phoned,  texted, or emailed by their families and told of the situation and warned they could have to find a place to stay while the emergency continued,” added David.

Derbyshire County Council’s well-honed emergency procedures were rolled out, while schools and community centres quickly turned into rest and feeding stations.

Local councillors including George and Jean Wharmby had a major role in the emergency process.

They and scores more of the county council team arriving soon after the grim news that the dam wall could burst.

Our reports focussed on how police, firefighters and paramedics from Glossop joined those from High Peak and Derbyshire at Toddbrook in response to the emergency.

The emergency services were joined by the Glossop Mountain Rescue Team, while army, RAF and fire crews from around the country arrived with high power pumps to draw out metres of water from the reservoir to try and prevent more concrete slabs crumbling and the dam wall collapsing.

At Chapel High School, a command post was established to find accommodation for those evacuated.

Above all, the pages of the paper were filled with stories of how local communities in Glossop responded, doing all they could to help those affected.

The gravity of the situation became clear when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn arrived.

They visited to inspect the work being undertaken to safeguard the reservoir and meet emergency responders and residents.

The news that a small town in the Peak District could have been flooded was eventually heard all over the world.

As part of the six year anniversary, Derbyshire Police have been sharing the story of how they responded.

The first call they received was at 10.40am on August 1 - a call they say that ‘changed the town forever’.

The emergency caller stated: “I’m at the bowling club and the reservoir is collapsing and I’ve been watching it for five minutes, a huge concrete slab about 15-20 feet long has fell off and another piece is coming away as we speak. There’s a lot of houses in direct line of it if it goes. It’s so dangerous. The concrete holding the water in is completely disintegrating…”

The police took action to stop access to Whaley Bridge and evacuate parts of the town as concerns grew that the entire structure might fail, causing a major flood that could destroy much of the town.

Police asked the town’s 6,500 residents to go to a nearby school, bringing any medication and their pets with them.

Officers were assisted by a wide number of partner agencies including the fire service who had sent firefighters from across the country, the

Environment Agency, the ambulance service, local councils and emergency planning staff.

As well as helping to keep the residents safe, there was also a plan to secure the dam by using water pumps to remove the water to a safe level and using 400 tonnes of aggregate to divert water from entering the reservoir.

While officers were at the scene, the police Communication and Engagement Team worked hard to keep Whaley Bridge residents informed.

They shared updates through press conferences, Derbyshire Alert messages, social media posts, and responded to over 16,000 comments and questions.

Some of these comments revealed pets were still inside homes in the evacuation area. Thanks to this information, police were able to adjust their response and allow people back briefly to rescue their animals.

Facebook and Twitter (now X) also became places where people showed their support for the emergency services, with many messages of support for the officers working to stop the dam from bursting, and it was clear that residents valued the updates provided.

Luckily, due to the teamwork of all the emergency services, agencies and councils who helped, the reservoir wall didn’t collapse, and residents ultimately were allowed to return safely to their homes.