Home   Kent   News   Article

Storm Dennis in Kent: Flood alerts remain in place with power cuts throughout county

Flood warnings remain in place as Kent faces another day of travel disruption.

Commuters are battling treacherous conditions on the roads with some villages around West Malling waking up without power in the wake of Storm Dennis.

Flooding has hit many roads across the county as Storm Dennis rages on Picture: UKNIP
Flooding has hit many roads across the county as Storm Dennis rages on Picture: UKNIP

A number of flood warnings have now been downgraded but several remain in place throughout Kent.

River levels are continuing to rise on the River Medway, River Teise and the River Beult as a result of heavy rainfall overnight.

The River Medway is exceptionally high in Maidstone
The River Medway is exceptionally high in Maidstone
The River Medway is exceptionally high in Maidstone
The River Medway is exceptionally high in Maidstone

The Environment Agency said it expected river levels to continue to rise and to "peak in the afternoon or early evening".

It advised homeowners in worst hit areas to put in place any flood protection they have have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers.

Read more: The situation with flooding in Maidstone

The effects of the storm have also wiped out the power to some homes, including those in the villages of Birling and Ryarsh, close to West Malling.

Flood alerts remain in place throughout the county. Photo: Environment Agency.
Flood alerts remain in place throughout the county. Photo: Environment Agency.

Flooding is also having a major impact on the roads this morning with long delays expected.

Low lying land and roads close to the River Darent between Otford and Dartford are affected.

Read more: The situation with flooding in Medway

Last night residents in Yalding were expecting the worst as 1,000 sand bags were handed out and areas were evacuated.

Meanwhile the Environment Agency was preparing to put into operation the Leigh live flood storage area near Tonbridge. It was last used in December.

The Environment Agency's flood plan

The fast flowing river at Yalding this morning

Poor weather shut the M25 anticlockwise entry slip road at junction 1A for Swanscombe yesterday.

One lane on Bob Dunn Way on the approach to the Dartford Crossing was shut this morning following excess rainfall overnight.

In Tonbridge, Hunton Road, between between Green Lane and Pattenden Lane, has been closed due to carriageway flooding.

There is also slow moving traffic in both directions in the High Street.

Headcorn Road in Biddenden where a tree has been blown down due to Storm Dennis
Headcorn Road in Biddenden where a tree has been blown down due to Storm Dennis

In Chatham a petrol station at Asda has been closed indefinitely after being struck by thunder and lightning.

Meanwhile, a 40-tonne crane had to be recovered after becoming stuck in Rogues Hill in Penshurst this morning.

It was reportedly trying to pass a number of vehicles that had been abandoned after getting stuck in flooding overnight when it also became stuck.

The crane being winched to safety. Picture: UKNIP
The crane being winched to safety. Picture: UKNIP

Two specialist recovery cranes with powerful winches were called in as part of the recovery operation that shut the road for several hours.

Listen to kmfm for travel updates.

KMTV report on the flooding and power cuts

For all the forecasts, warnings and weather related news, click here

Avoid getting stuck on Kent's roads by keeping up-to-date on all of the latest traffic and travel news here or by following our live blog

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More