Easter was later that year and on April 13, 1998, the floods came. A month’s rain fell in just 24 hours as the River Nene burst its banks.
There was misery for many but the experts reckoned Peterborough escaped much worse by the skin of its teeth.
Here is how that Easter unfolded.
- Maundy Thursday, April 13:
Flooding started in Alconbury near Huntingdon.
- Good Friday:
9am: The A1 Northbound flooded, as did Bullock Road in Elton, Haddon fly-over, Bishops Road in Peterborough, Tasmin Caravan Park in Eye,
Parnwell Way in Peterborough, the A605 in Elton, Windsor Road in Yaxley, Furze Road in Dogsthorpe and Carr Road in Peterborough.
Thorpe Road in Peterborough was under three feet of water.
Noon: A red alert was issued for the River Nene. A city-wide alert was put out warning people of the possibility of evacuations.
- Easter Saturday:
7.30pm: 50 homes in Riverside Gardens and Thorpe Meadows evacuated.
8pm: Police set up a special emergency advice line manned by civilian staff. Temperatures drop to -2 degrees.
- Easter Sunday:
70 people evacuated from Thorpe Meadows. Severe flooding in Elton and Wansford.
The basement of Bridge Street police station flooded twice and the station had to be abandoned.
Wansford’s Haycock Hotel is flooded. Residents in Gleneagles Road, in Orton Longueville were evacuated.
More city centre residents put on evacuation alert, including those living in Rushmere Gardens, Thorpe Meadows, Riverside Gardens, Thorpe Lea Gardens and Winchester Way – and many more.
The clear-up took many days and subsequent inquiry outlined a programme of work to ensure floods of that severity do not hit the city again.
