THIS week marked four years since more than 5,000 homes were left flooded by Storm Desmond.

Between December 4 and 6 2015 the weather phenomenon brought rainfall that left homes businesses, footpaths and roads devastated.

The Environment Agency, one of the organisations that helped those affected, is still working to reduce the threat of future flooding.

Stewart Mounsey, flood risk manager, said: “The Environment Agency continues to put a huge amount of focus on learning lessons and improving how we respond to flood incidents.

“We’re working with partners and have increased our number of multi-agency flooding exercises and have more staff trained and specialist equipment available following the unprecedented events of Storm Desmond, allowing us to constantly improve our response to flooding.”

Work is currently underway at Rickerby on the £4m Rickerby flood risk management scheme which will protect the community to the size of storm experienced in Storm Desmond.

Mr Mounsey added: “More than 22 communities across Cumbria have benefitted from some of the most state-of-the-art flood defences with Kendal, Egremont and Carlisle schemes currently under construction.

However, it is not possible to build defences big enough to protect every home or business, and even with new flood defences in place people cannot ever be fully protected from flooding. This is why it is essential that people know their flood risk and sign up for flood warnings in their area.”

Although work has paused on phase one of the £25m flood risk scheme that will protect more than 1,600 homes and businesses in Carlisle, the agency has insisted “this will not affect our 2020 winter readiness.”