Homeowners trapped inside while ‘still recovering’ from flood a year ago
A major incident was declared in Leicestershire on Monday after rain and snow brought severe flooding.
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Your support makes all the difference.Dozens of homeowners in Leicestershire have been trapped after flooding caused damage to their properties which have still not been fixed after they were destroyed by water a year ago.
Homeowners on Belton Road in Loughborough remain stranded on the first floor of their semi-detached houses on Tuesday after rising water from the nearby Grand Union canal flooded the street.
Families on the road complained they were hit with similar flooding from Storm Henk on January 3 last year which ruined their properties and left them trapped inside.
I can’t comprehend this all, you never think it’s going to happen in this area
A man, who did not wish to be named, has lived in alternative accommodation for a year since Storm Henk flooded the house he shares with his brother in Belton Road.
He said they were just about to move back before the flooding started again on Monday.
The homeowner told the PA news agency: “They had almost got everything ready to move back in – all new downstairs. Now, all the new stuff, the new items, have got to be repaired and replaced again.
“They will potentially tell us it’s all got to be scrapped.
“Last year everything downstairs – the carpets, flooring, furniture – all were damaged.
“In the space of a year, it’s just unbelievable that it’s happened again.
“I can’t comprehend this all, you never think it’s going to happen in this area.
“It’s the Grand Union canal – it seems like there’s a weak point that just sort of overflows and just all comes cascading down this way.”
Duaa Abdulal, 25, who was visiting her mother’s home in Belton Road for Christmas, said she did not expect to get “trapped” while staying there.
She is stuck with her mother and younger sister upstairs while the ground floor of the semi-detached house is filled with water.
The pressure that we experienced yesterday from about five o’clock in the morning and well into the early hours of this morning was significant
She said the property was destroyed by flooding from Storm Henk in January last year and the family still have not finished refurbishing since then.
Ms Abdulal said: “We’re stuck upstairs. Last year my family managed to leave the building.
“Thankfully, today we managed to get everything upstairs when we got the flood warning.
“We’re still recovering from last year, actually, we haven’t finished refurbishing the house, so it’s stressful.”
Ms Abdulal said she hopes to leave the house on Wednesday when the water has receded.
A major incident was declared in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire after heavy rain and snow caused severe flooding in the Midlands.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service responded to more than 380 calls on Monday and Tuesday because of widespread flooding in the county, attending 56 incidents.
Judi Beresford, Leicestershire’s assistant chief fire and rescue officer, described the demand on the service as “challenging”.
She said: “The pressure that we experienced yesterday from about five o’clock in the morning and well into the early hours of this morning was significant.
“It was very challenging but I’m really pleased to say that our crews handled themselves and the situation magnificently.”