Tri-Service

How The Forces Saved York From Flooding Again

There are two rivers that flow through the centre of York – the Ouse and the Foss.

The Foss Barrier has successfully protected the city for decades. On Boxing Day this year it failed.

The barrier works like a large garage door. This is dropped into the Foss during a flood to stop the Ouse backing up into it and flooding the centre of historical York.

Whilst the barrier is in place, pumps in the pumping station squirt the water back out into the Ouse.

More: Service Personnel Continue To Aid Flood-Hit Communities

This year the water coming down the Foss was too great for the pumps to cope with. They couldn't keep up and the environment agency was forced to raise the barrier, flooding the centre of York.

So on Monday an RAF Chinook dropped portable power generators onto the barrier’s roof.

On Tuesday, 32 Engineer Regiment sourced materials to create two-foot bridges to carry power cables and people across to the pumping station, to get the pumps working again.

On Wednesday, in a matter of minutes, the engineers erected the bridges.

All the barriers pumps are now operating fully.