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| Flood death: Margaret Hughes, 91, 'would not leave' home | Flood death: Margaret Hughes, 91, 'would not leave' home |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A "vulnerable" pensioner who drowned during severe flooding refused to leave her home as water levels rose, an inquest has heard. | A "vulnerable" pensioner who drowned during severe flooding refused to leave her home as water levels rose, an inquest has heard. |
| Margaret Hughes, 91, was found dead in her bungalow during floods at St Asaph, Denbighshire, in November 2012. | Margaret Hughes, 91, was found dead in her bungalow during floods at St Asaph, Denbighshire, in November 2012. |
| Witness Steven Green told the Ruthin hearing he knocked on her door at 09:00 GMT and said she should go with him. | |
| But the pensioner, who was eating breakfast, "weighed up the pros and cons" and declined, shutting the door. | But the pensioner, who was eating breakfast, "weighed up the pros and cons" and declined, shutting the door. |
| Mr Green said he had been staying with his parents in a nearby street when the floods hit. | Mr Green said he had been staying with his parents in a nearby street when the floods hit. |
| He woke up to see a lot of activity on the street and so decided to check on his grandmother, who lived next door to Mrs Hughes. | He woke up to see a lot of activity on the street and so decided to check on his grandmother, who lived next door to Mrs Hughes. |
| Mr Green's grandmother was safe, but he saw a Red Cross worker at Mrs Hughes' door and went to help. | Mr Green's grandmother was safe, but he saw a Red Cross worker at Mrs Hughes' door and went to help. |
| "I think you need to come with us," Mr Green told the great-grandmother. | |
| At that point the flood water was flowing but had not reached kerb height. It was a foot away from her house, Mr Green said. | At that point the flood water was flowing but had not reached kerb height. It was a foot away from her house, Mr Green said. |
| "She was eating her breakfast," Mr Green told the inquest. | "She was eating her breakfast," Mr Green told the inquest. |
| "She looked like she gave it some thought, she weighed it up but she decided not to... and closed the door." | "She looked like she gave it some thought, she weighed it up but she decided not to... and closed the door." |
| He added: "She looked like she weighed up the pros and cons of it." | He added: "She looked like she weighed up the pros and cons of it." |
| Mr Green told the hearing Mrs Hughes looked "warm and cosy". | Mr Green told the hearing Mrs Hughes looked "warm and cosy". |
| "She was old but she understood what I was asking her to do," he said. "There was no misunderstanding." | "She was old but she understood what I was asking her to do," he said. "There was no misunderstanding." |
| The hearing also heard from David Hallows, one of two Red Cross workers who had been asked to help evacuate the area. | |
| "From what I could see happening, a crisis was coming," he said. | |
| Mr Hallows said he advised Mrs Hughes to leave her home, and pointed to her disabled ramp which had water lapping up around it. | |
| "I think she felt comfortable where she was and she wanted to stay," he said. | |
| "She said she was fine and the door was closed." | |
| Water levels rose by up to 7ft (2.1m) in about 30 minutes. | |
| On Wednesday, the inquest heard Mrs Hughes had joined a flood warning scheme but an alert failed to reach her. | |
| She had signed up to receive alerts through her daughter Gwenda Jones's mobile phone, who she said she did not get one on that day. | |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |