Hertfordshire Council News

03 Jan 2024

Hertfordshire County Council keeps county’s roads moving during Storm Henk

Hertfordshire County Council keeps county’s roads moving during Storm Henk: Fallen tree

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 yesterday.

In total we 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 yesterday (Tuesday 2 January), our 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. We will be prioritising work on A and B roads.

This work will cause some further local disruption, as we will need to put in place emergency road closures and traffic management measures, 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 yesterday 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  

Notes to editors

The heatmap images show where calls about flooding and fallen trees were received from, with darker areas highlighting areas with a higher volume of calls.  

About Hertfordshire County Council

We are Hertfordshire County Council. We are responsible for delivering hundreds of services to the 1.2million people who live in the county.  

When our residents pay their council tax, they trust us to keep them safe at home and out in the community, to act with care and compassion, and to make Hertfordshire a great place to live and work, where everyone feels welcome. 

We support Hertfordshire residents from the earliest moments right through to the late stages of life.

To find out more about all the services we provide and what we deliver for our residents visit: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/weare