A bit of an intense 24 hours. But we seem to have escaped the worst of it. But there are still some families who have to rebuild their lives over Christmas. Thanks to the emergency services and @Calderdale for everything they did to keep our community safe.

The flood sirens have gone off in the Upper Valley this afternoon due to a combination of heavy rain and snow melt. I have spoken to the Environment Agency and Calderdale Council. Current predictions suggest it is likely to get worse until about 3:30 – 4:00pm and then ease. This is being monitored and I'll update as the day progresses. There is surface water flooding on Halifax Road at Eastwood where a crew are working to unblock drains, surface water flooding at Callis where the road is closed, and a flood warning in Walsden. Other areas including Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and Todmorden are under flood alerts and teams are out clearing drains. Please avoid travelling to these areas. Residents should put up flood defences if possible. You can get flooding updates on eyeoncalderdale.com or the Environment Agency website. Flood wardens also update on a number of local Facebook pages including Todmorden Flood Group and Hebden Bridge Flood Action Group. We are at the frontline of climate shocks here in Calder Valley. Rest assured I will continue to raise the issues we face with flooding at the highest levels of government.