As the waters continued to rise in the wake of Storm Babet, fresh danger-to-life flood warnings were issued, with cleanup operations getting underway in some of the worst-hit areas. Flooding is expected to last for days, with severe flood warnings in place for Retford in Nottinghamshire, signaling danger to life. The River Idle reached record levels, prompting Nottinghamshire county council to declare a major incident, with about 200 properties evacuated in the town.
Meanwhile, severe flood warnings were lifted on the River Idle and the River Derwent in Derbyshire on Sunday evening, but the Environment Agency warned that flooding would continue along the River Severn into Wednesday. The storm has claimed four confirmed deaths, with fears the number could rise. In Derbyshire, an 83-year-old woman was found dead after her home was hit by flooding. Her son, Paul Gilbert, described the moment he discovered her body, saying, “I came to the window behind you, forced it open, and found my mum floating in the water.”
In Shropshire, a man in his 60s died when he was swept away by flood water on Friday, while a 56-year-old man was killed when a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Scotland. Another 56-year-old man died after being swept into a river in Glen Esk, Angus, on Thursday. His family described him as “a ray of sunshine for everyone who was fortunate enough to know him.”
The Scottish government’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, is expected to visit Brechin on Monday to see the effects of the flooding, which has left dozens of homes underwater. Respite centers were set up in the town for those forced to leave their homes, with people only starting to return on Sunday to assess the damage.
Storm BabetThe Environment Agency warned that communities should be prepared for flooding to continue into Wednesday, particularly in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, where some rivers have exceeded record levels seen in 2007. Across England, 1,250 properties have been flooded since the storm took hold on Thursday, with more than 150 flood warnings still in place on Sunday. Scotland and Wales also have several flood warnings in place.
In Brechin, residents returned to their homes on Sunday to find significant damage. “The devastation looks even worse than I thought. It’s just absolutely mind-blowing,” said David Stewart, 68. The town’s flood defences did not hold up, with the head of risk, resilience, and safety for Angus council, Jacqui Semple, saying, “we’re in uncharted territory” with regard to the climate and weather impact the area has faced.
Scotland’s justice secretary, Angela Constance, said that although the flooding has receded, its impact will be felt in communities for some time to come. ScotRail said most of its services would run as normal on Sunday, but routes would remain closed between Aberdeen and Dundee, and Aberdeen and Elgin. Network Rail said residual disruption was expected across a number of routes on Sunday, mainly affecting eastern Scotland, Yorkshire, and East Anglia. The Energy Networks Association said a small handful of homes would still be without power on Sunday after about 100,000 customers initially suffered power cuts.
In Derby, the city council said it had seen record-breaking water levels along the River Derwent and warned that cleaning up after the floods could take several days. The Museum of Making, situated on a Unesco world heritage site on the banks of the Derwent, said it was exposed to substantial flood damage that was likely to lead to significant loss of income, as it called for donations to help its recovery.