More than 1,400 properties in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, have been identified for evacuation during the ongoing floods in the area.
Northern Powergrid told Utility Week its teams have inspected 586 substations within areas which are subject to flood warnings, 20 of those substations required minor clean-up work.
A spokesperson added: “In Bentley, Doncaster, some 1,200 properties have been identified for evacuation.
“We’ve examined 225 properties where flooding was at a depth where inspection of service equipment was required. Only one home was found to need equipment replacing.”
Another area affected is Fishlake, Doncaster, where 280 properties were identified for evacuation.
Northern Powergrid says it has had no access to those properties due to water levels but added that regular inspections of the village, including the substation in the centre, are on-going and that it has sufficient resources to deal with any remedial work required once the water has receded.
“Across the rest of our licence area faults are currently at business as usual levels, enabling us to bring in some additional support from our other regions to assist in South Yorkshire”, the spokesperson added.
There are currently five severe flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency for the River Don which flows through the area.
Yesterday (11 November) Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s head of network operations, said: “Our teams, who have worked tirelessly since last week in challenging conditions, are continuing do everything they can locally to support the communities affected.
“Repairs to restore power have been carried out wherever it is safe and possible to do so and necessary safety inspections, to check flooded properties are safe to receive power from our network, are continuing across the worst affected areas.
“We’d like to reassure the small number of customers who are currently without power in their properties, many of which have been evacuated, that we will be in their community for as long as it takes and will ensure that our network is ready for them to receive power once their properties are safe to do so.
“We’re closely monitoring the weather forecast for any potential impact on flood levels as a result of further rain forecast for today and later in the week.”
Heavy downpours across large parts of the north also led to surface water and river flooding in parts of Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.