West Sussex flooding: West Sussex County Council issues update after major incident

Storm Kathleen has sparked flooding chaos, with the River Arun bursting its banks and a holiday park near Chichester having to be evacuated and people told to get to high places in their homes. Up to 200 people who were left stranded have reportedly been rescued.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: "At the present time West Sussex County Council is working with its partners, Chichester District Council and Arun District Council as well as the Environment Agency in dealing with the flooding that has occurred at Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun, burst its banks. Further flooding occurred at Medmerry Holiday Park, which is on the coast near Bracklesham.

"All those who have been evacuated from these areas are being advised not to return to the areas affected by water due to further risk of high tides overnight. It is expected that calmer winds and reducing tides are due in the coming days, making the situation much better. In the meantime, all those affected have been evacuated and provided with all necessary support until they can return to their premises.

"The next steps will be to evaluate the damage caused to roads and other amenities. However, this will not be possible until the water has receded which we are anticipating over the new couple of days. At this time a full evaluation will be undertaken and any work needed to be carried out to rectify any issues will be put in place. Environment Agency will also be evaluating flood defences but will not be able to do this until water subsides.

"We urge the public to continue to monitor local council social media feeds and websites for the latest information."

West Sussex County Council will provide a further update tomorrow, if the situation requires it.