Retired couple fear ‘scariest’ Storm Chandra flooding as major incident declared
A retired couple fears the worst flood in the last decade due to heavy rainfall on Thursday.
Lesley and John Parker, from Burrowbridge in Somerset, said they had installed flood defenses and were concerned about water coming “straight into the ground”.
The preparations follow Storm Chandra, which caused disruption and flooding across the UK on Tuesday, prompting Somerset Council to declare a major incident.
A key route through Burrowbridge is already closed and the Environment Agency’s nearby pumps are operating at “full capacity” to remove water.
Heavy rain forecast for Thursday had the Parkers and their neighbors fearing the worst.
Mr and Mrs Parker said conditions were the worst they had seen since their home was devastated by flooding in 2014, when 3ft of water inside forced them to evacuate.
The couple said they felt they were mostly “left to their own devices” and that the Environment Agency “did little” to save their 14-year-old home.
Mr Parker said: “In 2014 the whole process was much slower, almost like slow motion.
“Yet this happened so quickly that nothing has been arranged yet.”
The couple said that despite covering the doors and vents with sandbags, during the last serious flood the water came straight up through the ground.
Mr Parker added: “The water came one afternoon, we thought we could survive, we went to bed and got up in the morning and there was about a foot of water on the ground floor.
“The insurance company arranged a hotel, so we went to the hotel and stayed there for a few weeks.
“Five weeks after the water broke, we came back…we lived in a trailer on the road from mid-March until November.”
On Wednesday, the couple installed a flood barrier provided by the local rotary club and filled sandbags outside the entrance to their home.
Ms Parker said: “There have been a few challenging moments, but at the moment… predictions are that the speed and rise of the water is the fastest it has ever been.
“We had a few scares but this was probably the scariest and I was told on Monday that I would be underwater today.”
Somerset Council said an estimated 50 properties were affected by flooding in Ilminster, West Coker, Taunton, Mudford and West Camel following Storm Chandra.
Council leader Bill Revans said: “The weather forecast remains challenging so we will be working with our colleagues in emergency services to ensure we are prepared should the situation continue to deteriorate.”
There was no weather warning from the Met Office on Wednesday, but a yellow rain warning was issued for south-west England on Thursday.
Alan Sandwell, who lives near the Saltmoor pumping station in Burrowbridge, said he was promised his home would “never flood” when he moved in two months ago.
“You never say never, so we have measures in place if we need it tomorrow,” he added.
“It worries me that things always seem to happen too late.
“It’s like closing the door when the horse runs away.”
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “Our response to the incidents has been ahead of standards, not behind them.
“Staff work hard 24/7 to protect people and property.
“Additional pumps were installed ahead of schedule and we reduced water levels ahead of Storm Ingrid to reduce its impact.
“We cannot pump water into rivers that are already full. But as soon as the water drops, we are ready to maximize this window of opportunity.”
The rain gauge in Fulwood, Somerset, recorded the wettest seven-day period in at least 30 years last week, the Environment Agency said.
