Yahoo News Pictures show Storm Kathleen flood chaos as holiday park evacuated
The UK has been hit by severe flooding in the wake of Storm Kathleen with heavy rain, high winds and almost 150 warnings and alerts in place.
Almost 150 weather warnings remain in place in England after heavy rain and storms saw hundreds evacuated from a holiday park.
Rain from last weekend's Storm Kathleen forced the River Arun to burst its banks in West Sussex, while elsewhere in the county, a holiday park was forced to close because of flooding.
Meanwhile, a new weather system, Storm Pierrick, named by French meteorologists, was causing heavy rain and high winds along the south west of England and Wales.
According to the Environment Agency, there were 24 flood warnings (where flooding is expected) and 125 flood alerts (where flooding is possible) in England as of 6pm on Wednesday.
About 180 people were evacuated from Medmerry Holiday Park in West Sussex overnight on Tuesday and one person was taken to hospital suffering from signs of hypothermia after it was flooded.
South East Coast Ambulance confirmed a “number of resources” were sent to help evacuate and rescue a number of people from the site.
Along the coast, there have been severe floodwaters in Littlehampton after the River Arun burst its banks, forcing 15 people to be evacuated from their homes.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our crews are supporting rescue operations in Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun has burst its banks, leading to severe flooding.
The wet weather will continue for many this evening with some heavy outbreaks still possible in the west 🌧️
Staying windy too but milder than last night 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/uoLqcR6fZq— Met Office (@metoffice) April 10, 2024
“Residents should remain in their properties if it is safe to do so and get as high as possible within their homes.”
Christine Coe, 54, the owner of Rita's Diner in Rope Walk, said her parents had to be evacuated from their home in the early hours of Tuesday.
“Rope Walk is devastated," she said. "My parents are in their 70s, they live just off Rope Walk, and they are both shocked and dealing with being evacuated in the early hours of the morning.
“I’ve spoken with them, they’re staying with family at the moment, but they can’t come back to their bungalow because it’s underwater."
West Sussex County Council said about 20 people were also being evacuated from Bracklesham Caravan and Boat Club.
The council said water levels “have not yet receded”, warning that “flooding may increase throughout the day”.
On Tuesday morning, it said “those who have been evacuated remain displaced”.
A refuge centre for affected residents has been set up at Wave Littlehampton leisure centre, Arun District Council said.
Dave Podesta, of Tudor View, Littlehampton, was preparing for the next high tide after Monday night’s flooding by stacking his campervan on bricks.
“No good sitting here waiting for it to happen, got to do everything we can to stop it,” the 75-year-old said.
Podesta had created flood defences around his home, including bolting down manhole covers and putting barriers in front of his doors, after a previous flood surge about 10 years ago, but said he “never had to use them until last night”.
He said: “This is the worst I have seen in 20 years.”
Gareth Theobald, 36, an industrial relations officer who lives in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, said: “I was out the front of the building and watching the water just get higher and higher and higher... then just watching in disbelief as the whole of Brighton Road and our multi-million pound development was being engulfed by floodwaters.
“The amount of water is scary and unprecedented and those houses opposite our development are lower-ground flats and they were all flooded under a foot or so of water.”
In Pembrokeshire in Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police urged motorists to avoid the area around the A487 at Penycwm after it was closed due to surface water.
In Cornwall, part of the harbour wall in Porthleven collapsed as a result of hight winds brought by Storm Pierrick. In Falmouth, at least beach huts were swept into the sea by the wild weather.
Stacey Lewin captured video of the beach huts being blown into the sea.
"I was quite shocked at just how bad the weather was," she said.
"When the huts got pulled in, that was a sad moment. They've only just been put back and repainted.
"Sad times but just shoes how powerful and dangerous the sea can be."
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said there would be “unsettled” conditions across the country for the next few days.
“It is again a windy and blustery day, especially along the southern and western coasts," she said.
“During the second half of the week there will be a north-south split with conditions more changeable in the north with further spells of rain as showers move in from the Atlantic.
“As we go into Thursday, things do turn warmer with the potential for temperatures at some sites in the south east of England to possibly reach the late teens to 20s.”
