Life in the eye of the storm
WHAT with Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge arriving in quick succession, floods, snow and general climate chaos, it seems Britain is being battered by ever more extreme weather.
This in-depth film takes a look at the recent devastation, visiting the country’s hardest hit towns and villages.
There’s dramatic footage of flooded-out residents being evacuated from communities including Mytholmroyd in west Yorkshire and Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire.
A £30million flood defence scheme in Mytholmroyd wasn’t due to be completed until this summer, so when Storm Ciara hit in early February, it was quickly deluged in water.
Roger Benn, a travel agent in the village, says: “It’s frightening, you know you can’t get out. We’ve got windows you can jump out of, but what do you jump into? Six foot of torrent that’s going to sweep you away into the river. So you’re trapped inside.”
Meanwhile, in Tenbury Wells, where river levels reach unprecedented levels, one family – Peter, Helen and their teenage daughter Abbey – have been advised to evacuate but can’t decide whether to.
In Fishlake, south Yorkshire, which flooded in November, residents are dealing with irreparable damage.
Practice nurse Sandra Liddle says: “We’re left with a shell. It’s not our home any more.”
It’s a shocking insight into what people are dealing with in certain parts of the country.
The film also follows staff from the Environment Agency as they attempt to stop the flow. But as people brace for more storms, it’s a tidal wave of bad news that shows no signs of slowing.