Hertfordshire County Council Keeps Roads Moving During Storm Henk

Hertfordshire County Council’s Highways teams have been working hard to clear fallen trees and blocked drains following the high winds and heavy rain caused by Storm Henk.

In total the council received more than 600 reports of flooding and fallen trees, significantly more than during the Storm Ciaran which impacted the county at the beginning of November. Heatmap technology used by the teams to keep track of reports of issues in real time showed that the impact of the storm was felt across the whole county unlike during Storm Ciaran where it was much more localised.

While weather conditions improved towards the end of Tuesday 2 January, response on the ground will continue for some time, as crews get to work on the clean-up operation, dealing with significant issues caused by tree debris and flood water. The council will be prioritising work on A and B roads.

This work will cause some further local disruption, as emergency road closures and traffic management measures need to be put in place, so that teams can safely complete their work.

Cllr Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways at Hertfordshire County Council, said: ‘The high winds and rain that Storm Henk brought to Hertfordshire caused significant disruption. Our teams responded brilliantly, working through the night to clear fallen trees and drains to help keep our county moving.

‘We’d like to ask residents for their patience as we continue the clear-up operation. There may be instances where we have moved a fallen tree onto the side of the road – this doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about it. We will be back to clear it away, but our priority is getting roads, paths and cycleways cleared and open.’

For further information on weather safety please visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/winterweather, to report fallen trees or branches or flooded roads, paths or cycleways go to www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/faultreporting.