Priority repairs to flood damaged roads across Dorset are set to begin later this year. Dorset Council is responding after a sharp rise in potholes, road defects and emergency highway call outs during one of the wettest starts to a year in decades.
Between December 2nd and the end of February the council recorded a 92 per cent rise in reported potholes, a 54 per cent increase in other road defects and an 83 per cent increase in emergency call outs compared with the same period last year.
Some roads remained under flood water for more than a month following prolonged rainfall, with the Met Office confirming that the Hurn weather station recorded its wettest January day in 74 years.
Council highways teams have already repaired more than 3000 potholes during January and February and fixed thousands of other defects, while responding to hundreds of emergency incidents across the network.
Councillor Jon Andrews said: “Since the start of 2026 Dorset has faced some of the most persistent and disruptive flooding we have seen in many years. Our priority now is repairing the damage and targeting the worst affected roads.”
Assessments of the most urgent locations are now underway, with a programme of drainage and resurfacing work planned once conditions allow. The council says the work will also focus on improving long term resilience to future extreme weather.
Share us with your friends on social media, and have a listen to Bournemouth One online and on DAB for all your local news, traffic, jobs, weather, coastal info and more.
Register below for free regular updates via email.