Appleby 'better than anticipated' after Storm Isha

Appleby Emergency Response Group feared flood levels would peak at 4.1 metres between 1.30am and 2.15am on Sunday morning.

The flood siren went off at 9pm, warning of the River Eden flooding and giving residents in the town time to build flood prevention gates, barriers and sandbag defences. 

In the end the River Eden reached a peak level of 3.74 metres, according to the flood alerts page on the UK government website. It has since returned to normal levels.

Although this was still far above the highest normal range of 1.8 metres, and it was enough to flood some parts of The Sands and the cricket and bowling clubs, it was better than the response group was expecting. 

The River Eden at Appleby the morning after Storm Isha (Image: Submitted)

John Ashman, spokesman for Appleby Emergency Response Group said: "It was better than anticipated - only The Sands area was affected. A couple of businesses and the bowling club as well.

"The main problem today (January 22) was no electricity. We were checking on neighbours and vulnerable folk and providing hot drinks where needed.

"We are all volunteers from Appleby and a few from surrounding villages."

Town councillor Ian Mycock said: "The town is always ready for flooding. Flooding is not an unusual event for Appleby."

As far as he was aware the morning after Storm Isha, the councillor said that properties even in the areas where flooding happens the most such as The Sands were largely OK. 

The highest level the River Eden has ever been recorded at the monitoring station in Appleby was 4.72 metres on December 5, 2015, during Storm Desmond. 

Property flooding is possible when the River Eden is at 3.10 metres or above, according to the flood alerts website.