Heavy rain in August 2022 flooded an estimated 100 properties in Spalding, Pinchbeck and Market Rasen, according to Lincolnshire County Council's Community Risk Management Plan 2024-28, which sets out the risks Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue plans around1. The plan lists flooding as one of seven key community risks for the county1.
The plan places the August 2022 flooding alongside other recent incidents in Lincolnshire: the breach at Wainfleet in 2019, and Storm Babet in October 2023, when more than a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours and caused flooding across the county1. On day to day demand, the service attended 192 flooding incidents in 2022/23, against an average of 160 a year1.
The risk list was drawn up from the national and local assessments. The Cabinet Office manages the National Security Risk Assessment, described in the plan as a classified cross-government and scientifically rigorous assessment of the most serious risks facing the UK, which then forms the basis of the Community Risk Register produced by Lincolnshire's Local Resilience Forum1. The service combined that with its own risk assessment and public feedback to produce the seven risks1.
"heavy rain in August 2022 flooding an estimated 100 properties in Spalding, Pinchbeck and Market Rasen"
The plan gives the scale of the county's household base: according to the UK Census 2021, there are 298,100 households in Lincolnshire, of which 104,400 are rented, around 35% of the total1. It also notes that 36% of all dwelling fires occur in premises where just one person lives, and that an ageing population that may have more complex health and care needs presents a particular risk the service will address through prevention work1.
| Risk listed in the plan | Detail given |
|---|---|
| Flooding | 192 incidents attended in 2022/23; average of 160 a year1 |
| Dwelling fire | 314 incidents attended in 2022/23; 36% in single-person households1 |
| Road traffic collision | 439 people killed or seriously injured in 2022, down from 453 in 2021; 702 incidents attended in 2022/231 |
| Non-domestic fires | Average of 140 a year over five years; 37% caused by electrical fault1 |
| Wildfires | Overall increase over the last five years, with numbers influenced by weather1 |
| Deliberate fires | Rising overall, with the hot, dry summer of 2022 accounting for most of the increase1 |
| Malicious attacks | Threat level not below substantial in the last five years; no attacks in Lincolnshire1 |
Why it matters for households
The plan confirms that flooding in Lincolnshire has recently affected homes in Spalding, Pinchbeck and Market Rasen, and that the service treats flooding as one of the county's main community risks1. It does not set out household-level guidance, and no specific advice to residents of the affected areas is given in the document1. The plan states that an ageing population with more complex health and care needs is a particular risk the service will address through its prevention activities1. For general preparation, see the guide to flooding.
What happens next
The plan covers the period 2024-28 and lists the seven risks the service will plan around over those years1. No further dates for specific flooding works or local schemes are given in the document1.
