This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/18/homes-evacuated-as-cornwall-hit-by-flash-floods

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Homes evacuated as Cornwall hit by flash floods Homes evacuated as Cornwall hit by flash floods
(35 minutes later)
Homes have been evacuated on the south coast of Cornwall as flash floods sweep through the county after violent thunder storms on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of homes have been evacuated on the south coast of Cornwall as flash floods sweep through the county after violent thunder storms on Tuesday afternoon.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue has told people to avoid the Coverack area because of “major flooding”. Cornwall Fire and Rescue told people to avoid the Coverack area because of “major flooding”.
Major flooding in #Coverack area please avoid this area & do not attempt to drive through any flood water.Major flooding in #Coverack area please avoid this area & do not attempt to drive through any flood water.
They are urging people not to drive through the flood waters triggered by huge waves breaching coastal defences. It is urging people not to drive through the flood waters triggered by huge waves breaching coastal defences.
The Met Office said it came after heavy thunderstorms and rain in Cornwall and Devon on Tuesday afternoon. “There has been some heavy rainfall around,” said forecaster Craig Snell, who said the worst has moved north from the region. The Met Office said flooding came after heavy thunderstorms and rain in Cornwall and Devon on Tuesday afternoon. “There has been some heavy rainfall around,” said forecaster Craig Snell, who said the worst has moved north from the region.
An eyewitness said the wet weather hit Coverack at about lunchtime, but got worse from around 3pm. “It literally just came over like a massive mist,” Karla Wainwright told BBC News. Wainwright, who works in the village’s Paris Hotel, said hailstones the size of 50p pieces smashed small panes of glass on the building.An eyewitness said the wet weather hit Coverack at about lunchtime, but got worse from around 3pm. “It literally just came over like a massive mist,” Karla Wainwright told BBC News. Wainwright, who works in the village’s Paris Hotel, said hailstones the size of 50p pieces smashed small panes of glass on the building.
She added: “It wasn’t until it cleared up at 4.30pm, and we could see over the other side of Coverack, and we could see the stream coming down the main road and going just straight off over the wall into the sea, that we realised how bad it had been and how much water and rain had come down.”She added: “It wasn’t until it cleared up at 4.30pm, and we could see over the other side of Coverack, and we could see the stream coming down the main road and going just straight off over the wall into the sea, that we realised how bad it had been and how much water and rain had come down.”
Some residents had to be airlifted to safety as the flood waters washed into homes in the small fishing village.
Residents have been cut off by the fast-moving flood with both access roads into the village swamped by the waters. The main road, the B3294, has been broken apart by the force of the storm and chunks of tarmac have been swept to the seafront.
Firefighters launched an evacuation plan with six fire trucks reported to be at the scene and a coastguard helicopter circling overhead.
Witnesses say the storms on Tuesday afternoon were the worst they had ever seen.
Bed and breakfast owner Anne Rogers said: “We got got the helicopter overhead who has just air lifted two people two people to safety from a bungalow near the river.
“The tarmac from the road is now along the seafront – it is just horrendous. It is utter devastation all along the seafront and the cliff side properties are all flooded.”
She added that the rain started at about 3.30pm on Tuesday and lashed the exposed hamlet on the south eastern side of the Lizard peninsula for about two hours.
The business-owner said: “It has flooded here before but this is by far the worst I have ever seen it.
“Everyone is safe as far as I know. But there will be a very big clean-up job. No one can get in or out of Coverack at the moment. You can not get through. We are all stuck.”
She told reporters at the scene that locals were trying to look out for each other and the tourists holidaying in the area.
Coverack resident Adam Powers added that it had been a “scary afternoon”.
“Homes are flooded and there is no access by road. More rescue crews are arriving the helicopter is hovering. It is pretty full on,” he said.
Others have described watching “apocalyptic” scenes play out in the usually sleepy picturesque village.
Wendy Davies said: “When I eventually got out of the house the hailstones were so bad it looked apocalyptic. It was like something out of a disaster movie.”