Report into Market Harborough flooding released after council investigation
A report into flash flooding that left scores of businesses in the heart of Market Harborough damaged has been published by Leicestershire County Council.
The report, released by the council this week, found the flooding on September 21, 2024 had affected 37 businesses and eight roads around the town.
The investigation revealed that several commercial properties were internally flooded and businesses had electrical equipment, carpets, flooring, plasterwork and internal fixtures damaged.
The report found many businesses were able to remain open or reopen quickly due to “flood resilient features such as solid tiled floors and prompt clean-up measures”.
The heavy rainfall meant that the drainage networks and highway gullies were overwhelmed by the volume of rain in a short space of time.
But the River Welland was not to blame, instead the water came from the public sewer, surface water and highway drains.
The report stated: “According to the Met Office, Market Harborough experienced in excess of 200 per cent of the 1991- 2020 average rainfall during September 2024 as a whole.”
The highways team at Leicestershire County Council were called out to several locations where drains and gullies were blocked, stopping puddles of flood water from draining away.