Heavy rain leads to flood alerts and rail landslip
THREE red flood warnings and more than 20 orange alerts for rising water were in place earlier this week across the South West, after heavy showers.
Meanwhile, at Honiton, a landslip caused by heavy rain forced the closure of the railway branch line between Axminster and Exeter Central stations.
The slip was near Honiton station on Monday, forcing all services to terminate at Axminster. Stations between Honiton and Exeter Central could not be reached by trains.
South Western Railway said after the incident that replacement road transport was being put in place.
Train tickets were being accepted on other routes and Network Rail said it was arranging replacement road transport between Axminster and Exeter Central.
A spokesman said: “If you are planning to travel between Axminster and Exeter Central, you may source your own taxi between these stations and claim back from our Customer Relations team.
“Please attach a copy of your taxi receipt and train tickets to the following form to make your claim: https://www. southwesternrailway.com/contact-andhelp/train-ticket-refunds.”
Meanwhile, villages and towns along the rivers Axe and Yarty were the most seriously affected, after heavy rain on Monday was followed by more showers yesterday morning.
The Environment Agency (EA) said that, due to the ‘persistent rainfall’ so far this week, river catchments are extremely sensitive and river levels will react to any further rainfall.
The EA added it was monitoring river levels and staff in the area were checking for and clearing blockages in areas that could potentially flood.
The Met Office says that even falling rivers could rise again, with more localised heavy rain forecast.
The red warnings were for the River Yarty from Yarcombe to Axminster and the lower River Axe from Axminster to Axmouth. A red warning urges residents in the affected area to “act now,” which means moving vehicles to higher ground, moving family and pets to safety, putting valuables out of reach of potential flood water and turning off power supplies and water if it is safe to do so.
Orange alerts were in place in Cornwall for rivers from Land’s End to Chapel Porth and on up the coast to The Rumps, excluding the tidal River Camel and from The Rumps on up to Hartland Point, excluding Bude. The upper Tamar was also on orange alert.
In Devon, a number of river systems, including the Teign, the Exmoor rivers, the middle Exe, the Clyst, the Culm and tributaries, the Otter, the Sid and the Exmouth area were also on orange alert. East of Plymouth, the South Devon rivers were also on an orange warning.
In Dorset, the West Dorset rivers and streams, the upper and lower Frome and tributaries, the upper and middle Stour and tributaries, the lower Avon and Christchurch Harbour are all on orange alert.
In Somerset, the West Somerset streams, the river Tone catchment, the lower Tone and the Parrett Moors were also on alert.