Turmoil as storms slam into UK
Coastal areas evacuated after high tides while many residents sit ready to flee as floods threaten
LONDON – Residents in coastal areas have been evacuated from their homes as high winds and high tides hit England and Wales.
Streets have been flooded in coastal areas as high spring tides and gale-force winds swept in from the Atlantic and hundreds of homes were evacuated while residents in other areas were warned to keep a bag packed in case they had to leave their homes at short notice.
The Environment Agency has issued 21 of its most serious flood warnings, advising of flooding and a risk to life across Wales and England.
A combination of gales gusting at more than 110k/h, along with high spring tides, sent dangerous storm surges into coastal areas from the early hours yesterday.
People have been warned to stay away from “highly dangerous” beaches, promenades and coastal paths in parts of Wales and southern and western England. Officials predicted the coastal flooding would be the worst seen for five to 10 years in some regions.
Homes in Newport were evacuated as parts of Wales prepared for the highest storm surges in nearly two decades.
A pregnant woman had to be rescued from a home in Cardigan after flooding trapped people in their homes.
Joanne Sherwood, from Natural Resources Wales, said: “These are some of the highest tides since 1997, and on top of that it’s very windy so that’s causing about a one metre surge on top of the tide.”
Up to 50 caravans were flooded at Carmarthen Bay caravan park, near Llanelli, South Wales, as the high tide smashed through flood boards put up to plug gaps in the nearby sea walls.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland, police have been delivering sandbags and have issued a warning to people in the Sydenham and Docks areas to prepare for potential flooding and the possibility of evacuation.
Heavy rain falling on already waterlogged ground was also predicted to trigger more flooding across parts of the country.
Residents were also evacuated from a mobile home park in Bournemouth amid warnings the River Stour could spill its banks.
The weather heaped more difficulty on travellers with road journeys and rail services disrupted.
Many major roads were flooded, while trains to and from Gatwick Airport in West Sussex were among those affected.
Electrical supply problems at South Croydon in south London meant delays of up to 40 minutes on trains between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon, while a signalling problem at Dorking in Surrey led to hold-ups between Dorking and Leatherhead.
Pre-Christmas flooding has meant that no trains are able to run on the Isle of Wight, with services not expected to start again until well into January.
Waves of almost 10 metre were expected to hit Devon and Cornwall, the BBC said, with authorities declaring it a “major incident” and warning people to stay away from shorelines, where there are 14 severe flood warnings and 60 flood warnings.
On Thursday, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson warned that the country was facing a period of exceptionally bad weather. Paterson said: “Due to the continuing extreme weather, I will be chairing another Cobra [emergencies committee] meeting today [on Thursday] to ensure that everything that can be done to help affected areas is being done.
“With a number of severe flood warnings still in place I urge everyone to follow the advice from the Environment Agency and police and to take every precaution.”
He has also told energy network companies to be prepared, following complaints that it took too long to restore electricity to the thousands of homes left without power in the wake of severe weather over Christmas.
Pete Fox, head of strategy at the Environment Agency, said: “We are expecting flooding along the west and south coasts of England and Wales, due to a combination of strong winds, large waves and high tides, from the early hours of Friday and into the weekend.
“Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline.”
The storms have already claimed at least two lives. The body of a 27-year-old man from Surrey was found on Porthleven Sands beach in Cornwall.
He had been swept out to sea on New Year’s Eve night, having gone for a paddle with friends at nearby Loe Bar.
In a second tragedy on Tuesday, a woman died after being swept out to sea at the popular beauty spot Croyde Bay in north Devon. The woman, who was believed to have been on holiday with her family, was rescued from the sea and airlifted to hospital before being confirmed dead by doctors.
Electricity network companies could face fines if they are proven to have taken too long to restore power after the Christmas storms, energy regulator Ofgem said on Thursday.