Flood heroes evacuate BIRT unit

17 September 2008

Severe flash floods in Birmingham on 6 September meant that our unit at 1101 Bristol Road had to be evacuated.

Although the nearby park sometimes has minor flooding after very heavy rain, this was of an altogether different order, says service manager Nicola Archer.

'On Saturday, the staff and service users could see the park getting very wet, but didn't suspect at any point that the water would rise to the level it did.

'When it became clear that the unit was going to be affected, staff and service users tried in vain to stem the flow of the flood water entering the unit, however it soon became apparent that a full evacuation would be necessary. The emergency services were called for assistance.'

Staff and service users are evacuated by emergency services following flash floods in Birmingham.

Rapid rise

What surprised everyone was the speed with which the flood water rose, at one point reaching to a foot and a half inside the unit.

The flood water outside the unit was even deeper (as the unit slopes down towards the main Bristol Road), so staff and service users were evacuated by raft with the aid of the emergency services.

'I would like to personally thank all of the staff on duty that afternoon (Lynn, Cleveland, Kevin and Molly), for their presence of mind and the swift action they took to protect the service users and the contents of the unit,' says Nicola.

'I would also like to thank the managment and staff of West Heath House who supported us during the crisis and who are currently providing a temporary base for our service users and staff.'

The entire ground floor has been devasted by the flood water and work is now underway to clean and dry the unit before the restoration work begins.

Staff and service users safely at West Heath House, following their evacuation.

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