The darkness arrived with a terrifying rush. Before dawn, Billy Vernon and his two sons found themselves trapped, the lower level of their Weycroft home rapidly filling with icy water. It wasn’t a slow creep, but a surge – water slamming against windows, rising with frightening speed to a meter high.
Panic seized the family as the reality of the situation crashed down. A son’s desperate cry echoed through the house, alerting Billy to the escalating crisis. He described a primal fear, a moment where words failed him, replaced by the chilling realization that their home was being swallowed by the storm.
The aftermath was devastating. Billy waded through the floodwaters, scaling his fence to reach his sons upstairs with meager supplies – water, juice, sandwiches – a desperate attempt to provide comfort amidst the chaos. The kitchen, once the heart of their home, was now unreachable, a submerged ruin.
But the material losses were only part of the heartbreak. Billy’s mother had recently passed away, and her cherished belongings, stored in the now-flooded house, were lost to the relentless waters. A wave of grief washed over him, compounded by the fear for their animals – twenty chickens and two lizards – their fate uncertain.
Across Devon and beyond, Storm Chandra unleashed its fury. The River Otter reached its highest recorded level, threatening to overwhelm flood defenses. A severe flood warning, signifying a danger to life, was issued, and communities braced for the worst.
Schools closed their doors, impacting countless families as at least 47 were forced to shut down. Roads transformed into rivers, becoming impassable and trapping drivers. Emergency services worked tirelessly, rescuing stranded motorists from the rising floodwaters.
In Dorset, Rachel Shepherd found herself isolated, unable to leave her home as roads disappeared beneath the surging water. She watched the river creep closer, a silent witness to the storm’s power, thankful at least that her electricity remained on.
A small miracle unfolded in West Moor, Dorset, as firefighters rescued a tiny puppy named Roxy, spotted washed down a flooded river. Pulled to safety from waist-deep water, the soaked pup offered a glimmer of hope amidst the widespread devastation.
Authorities urgently warned against driving through floodwaters, emphasizing the hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface. The roads, they cautioned, were simply unable to cope, and even seemingly safe passages could conceal treacherous depths.
As Storm Chandra began to subside, a new threat emerged: ice. Yellow warnings were issued for much of the UK, as plummeting temperatures threatened to turn already dangerous conditions into a treacherous landscape. The storm’s legacy would linger, a reminder of nature’s raw power and the vulnerability of communities in its path.
The Environment Agency warned that flood defenses along the River Otter were likely to be breached, a stark indication of the storm’s intensity. Workers, battling risky conditions, worked tirelessly to mitigate the damage, their efforts acknowledged by local MP Richard Foord.
With over 100 flood alerts still in place, the recovery process had only just begun. The storm served as a potent reminder of the importance of preparedness and the need to respect the forces of nature, even as communities began the long and arduous task of rebuilding their lives.
