Flooding chiefs revealed today how flood forecasts failed during the November disaster - and how communications between agencies were difficult and confused.

The Environment Agency exposed its failings in an official report to the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee.

But it also revealed just how many properties it succeeded in saving from flooding.

The report revealed that its defences protected a staggering 48,500 properties across the region in November, "despite being tested as never before".

It said notable achievements included the protection of more than 7,500 properties in Selby and Barlby.

The report, written by regional flood defence manager Ken Barton, spoke of a "tremendous collaborative effort from a number of agencies", including the relevant local authorities, police force, fire, ambulance, army and the Environment Agency in November.

"The agency's response to the severe flooding is generally considered to have been good," he said.

But the document also showed that:

* 2,500 properties were flooded - including 155 at Malton and Norton - through a mixture of overtopping of defences, outflanking of defences, breaches of barriers, "local drainage problems." and an absence of any defences.

* Communications between flood incident rooms and multi-agency control rooms were difficult and confused at times

* Flood forecasting models performed poorly because they had not been calibrated to deal with floods of such magnitude, and some peak warnings were inaccurate.

The report also said an audit had revealed that Yorkshire's flood defence assets were in a worse condition than any other region, and additional maintenance was needed costing £2.5 million.

It warned that £9 million was needed over the next ten years to improve and extend the flood forecasting and warning service.

A project is also planned to improve communications systems, with a training course for agency staff being investigated, possibly at the Emergency Planning College near Easingwold.

Another £120 million of extra capital work was also needed over the next decade.

Mr Barton said the floods had cost the agency £2.3 million, while emergency works and further repairs would cost another £3 million.

According to the report, the number of properties flooded included: 300 at Barlby and Selby; 30 at Tadcaster; 100 at Rawcliffe, York; 155 at Malton and Norton; 75 at Gowdall; 200 in the Vale of York; 400 in York, including Bishopthorpe; and 30 at Ripon.

* Committee members were today deciding whether to increase levies from councils across Yorkshire to meet the costs of the November floods and pay for new defences, including a £4 million scheme for Malton.

The agency's Regional Water Manager David Rooke said today that the councils would be fully reimbursed by the Government in 12 months' time if they agreed to the proposed 63 per cent increase in the levy.

He said a decision could be deferred today to see if further information could be obtained from the Government, but only for two to three weeks.

He said bids had been made to the Government for the emergency costs of the floods to be funded centrally, but no response had yet been received.

Updated: 11:32 Thursday, January 11, 2001