
Newport cleans up after 'awful' flash flooding
"Next door alerted me because I was in bed, because I'm a night carer."She, along with other residents, said there was sewage in the water outside.The BBC has contacted Telford and Wrekin Council and Severn Trent for comment.
"I've been washing all morning," she said."It's happened before, but not to this degree, this is the worst."Another resident, Ken Allen, said he saw cars floating down his street."The thunder and lightning started, and then it was just horrendous downfalls – and then the next thing we saw was the water just rising outside, all the gutters were running over on the houses.""We were lucky, we knew that, but we knew those down there [the road] weren't."It's a horrible thing to see the day after, when you see the mess that it's left."
Newport Library said it would remain shut on Wednesday, but hoped to re-open on Thursday after the building dried out."There was significant flooding coming though the roof panels," said town clerk, Joanne Reay."We turned the electrics off, and came to assess damage this morning."She added that the building had been assessed and the electrics were not affected."We think we've lost about five books, so that was a massive relief."
'Only call 999 if your life is in danger'
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received more than 20 calls in a short period of time from residents in the area.It urged residents to only call 999 if their lives were in danger, and said it prioritised rescue operations over property protection."We have no statutory duty in England to attend floods - unlike other parts of the UK... our crews focus on people trapped or in danger... entering floodwaters poses serious risks to responders," it said on its Facebook page.It said residents should isolate electrics and move pets and valuables upstairs.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Homeowners forced to fork out tens of thousands after their £400k newbuild was left destroyed by extreme flooding
Homeowners living on an exclusive estate have gone to war with a housebuilding giant claiming poor drainage has left them with sunken gardens after every downpour. Families thought they had bought their dream homes with expansive views across the western fells of the Lake District but for those who now own a property on the Edgehill Park estate in Cumbria that dream has become a nightmare. Every time it rains water swamps their patios, almost lapping into the house in extreme cases and homeowners claim housebuilder Story Homes has failed to provide adequate drainage. One young family has been left so furious they staged a very visible protest outside the show home on the estate to warn off prospective buyers. Dean and Rachel Hodgson made a banner showing their deluged patio and added the caption: 'this is what our garden looks like after a small amount of rain.' Dean then fastened the banner to his blue BMW and parked it outside the estate office to give any potential customers a timely warning. Other homeowners on the same estate told Mailonline they have had to fork out tens of thousands of pounds to try to rectify the gardens behind their luxury homes. Story Homes - owned by building magnate and former Carlisle United chairman Fred Story - have rejected the criticism and say that Dean caused the issue himself by installing an Astroturf lawn. IT operations manager Dean, 30, and nurse Rachel, 25, who have a 14-month-old daughter Elora, bought their four bedroom home for £309,000 in March. Dean said: 'When we moved in the garden was in a disgraceful state, it was just a patch of mud with standing pools of water. 'We asked for something to be done and they said they would level it out with sand. 'What actually happened was that they dumped a load of sand over the back fence and we had to level it out ourselves. 'We have a young daughter and two dogs so we installed an Astroturf lawn because we didn't want wet and muddy paws and feet through the house. 'That's what Story's are blaming for the problem, when it's clear to anyone that the drainage isn't sufficient. 'At its worst, after a heavy downpour in July the water was pooling on the patio and was up to the level of the bottom of the door and we were just waiting for it to start pouring in. 'Thankfully it didn't but I have bought a pump because this issue is only going to get worse in the wet winter months. 'When I raised the issue I was sent an email by Story's saying the responsibility for ensuring adequate drainage lies with the householder. 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We are a young family who have paid a significant amount of money for our home on what on the face of it looks like a beautiful estate. 'Surely the house builder should be the one ensuring that the drainage is adequate before they sell the homes. 'We were incensed and when I realised they were holding open days for the new phase of the development, I had the banner made and left it outside the office tied to the car. 'I just wanted people to see what we're going through before they part with a large amount of money for one of these homes.' David Little, 60, and wife Claire, 47, who run a tanning salon, have seen similar problems on the same estate. They paid £380,000 for their large detached home two years ago and £1,200 for garden turf. Claire said: 'We'd been warned there would be what they called a slight incline in the garden but it was actually a slope. 'The turf hadn't been laid properly and was still in sections and within days it was clear that the grass was dead. It went brown and looked awful. 'Then the first time it rained heavily there was just a stream of water pouring down the slope and gathering on the patio just under the level of the doors. We were furious and complained but they didn't seem interested.' David said: 'After waiting for Story to do something we eventually had to take the job on ourselves and we have spent £30,000 completely reconstructing the garden of a house that cost almost £400,000. 'We had to install sleepers to stop the back of the garden collapsing and build a terrace where the steep gradient had been. 'But even after all that work water still builds up every time it rains and can take up to 12 hours to drain away. When you step on the grass hours later it is like a sponge. 'When it rains heavily water actually comes up through the flags on the patio. It seems clear to me that the drainage system just isn't adequate for the job.' Mum of two Georgia Davison, 27, who runs beauty and cleaning firms, bought her home on the estate two years ago. She said: 'We bought in the summer months when it was dry so didn't see any problems, but as soon as the wet weather came it was a nightmare. 'The garden was constantly waterlogged and the kids couldn't go out there because it was wet and muddy. 'We had to get out own contractor in to sort out the problems because it was obvious there was an issue with drainage, the water was just sitting there. 'The ground was so uneven we had it made into two different levels, which cost us £15,000. 'Now we still have a foul smell in our bedroom, which seems to be coming from the drains. You don't expect to have to put up with this kind of thing on an estate where homes cost as much as they do.' Story Homes told two angry customers by letter and email that they were responsible for organising their own drainage after reporting that their gardens were flooding. Story Homes told Georgia Davison: 'With the property now being out of the warranty period with Story Homes we would not be able to inspect the drains on your property ...The drains on your property would now be the homeowner's responsibility to arrange their own drainage contractor to visit and rectify this.' And they told Dean Hodgson: 'When choosing an un-turfed garden option, I can confirm it would be the homeowners responsibility to install the appropriate drainage for their own desired landscaping options.' A spokesperson for Story Homes told MailOnline: 'Story Homes has carried out a thorough investigation of Mr Hodgson's property and can confirm that the surface water drainage is fully compliant with the original design and construction specifications. The weep holes integrated into the boundary retaining wall are functioning as intended, and no evidence of excessive water discharge was found. 'During our inspection of the garden, it became clear that the homeowner had installed artificial turf after the property was completed. This turf was laid without removing the topsoil or incorporating a granular sub-base or other recommended sub-surface drainage system. 'This has resulted in an uneven garden surface and poor drainage, leading to the pooling of water. Our findings confirm that Story Homes has met all relevant technical standards, statutory obligations, and warranty requirements. We have advised the customer to refer the matter to the National House Building Council (NHBC) resolution service. 'In relation to other residents quoted within the article, we note that one homeowner has never raised any concerns with us regarding their garden, while with the other, we have worked collaboratively to reach what we believe to be a fair and satisfactory resolution. 'Story Homes remains committed to providing excellent levels of customer satisfaction, which is reflected in our HBF 5-star rating and industry-leading Trustpilot score. All our homes are covered by a comprehensive 10-year warranty, which includes a 2-year builder warranty followed by an 8-year NHBC Buildmark policy for structural defects. Throughout this period, customers who remain dissatisfied with the outcome of our investigations have access to the NHBC's independent resolution service. We can confirm there are no live NHBC claims in relation to garden issues at Edgehill Park.'


BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Wildfires threaten Turkish city as southern Europe grapples with blazes
Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks are now threatening the country's fourth-largest city, forcing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving one firefighter dead. Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro are also battling blazes fed by unusually high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. Advertisement Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa, in north-west Turkey, spread rapidly, tinting the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs with a red glow. The fires come amid recent high temperatures (AP) Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country daily since late June, with the government declaring the two western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik as disaster areas on Friday. The Bursa governor's office said that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the north-east as more than 1,900 firefighters battled the flames. The major road linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. Advertisement A firefighter died from a heart attack while on duty, the city's mayor Mustafa Bozbey said, adding that the flames had scorched 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) around the city. Helicopters helped battle wildfires near Montenegro (AP) Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as 'an apocalypse'. By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to battle the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli said fire crews across the country confronted 84 separate blazes on Saturday. Advertisement The country's north-west was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday and 1,839 people have been evacuated from 19 villages. The minister warned that growing winds could suddenly reignite fires not properly watered down after being extinguished. Turkey recorded its highest temperature on record on Friday with 50.5°C recorded in Silopi ⚠️📈 This exceeds the previous record of 49.5°C recorded on 15th August 2023 🌡️ This extreme heat is bringing serious health impacts and giving a very high risk of wildfires 🔥 — Met Office (@metoffice) July 27, 2025 Beleaguered firefighters and rescue workers also saved thousands of livestock and pets that had been left behind in the rush to evacuate threatened areas. Unseasonably high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have been fuelling the wildfires. Advertisement The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5C in the south-eastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it said. Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey. Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said late on Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, and that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects. Smoke rises from trees burned by wildfire near Montenegro's capital Podgorica (AP) In Greece, firefighters battled active wildfires in the country's south-west and on the island of Kythera on Sunday, following a blaze that scorched the northern Athens suburb of Kryoneri on Saturday. Advertisement Temperatures reaching 38C or more persist across much of the country, though winds have eased slightly. In Kryoneri, 27 residents were evacuated overnight with police assistance after some initially ignored warnings. Authorities urged the public to comply with evacuation orders, warning that resistance puts both civilians and rescuers in danger. On Bulgaria's southern borders with Greece and Turkey, as well as the western Serbian frontier, firefighters battled wildfires as the government declared the worst-hit provinces disaster zones. Residents across nearly half the country were issued with a code red warning, the highest level.


BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Public urged to halt bonfires after Lacock thatch blaze
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