Storm Ciara: Driver killed by falling tree, as government criticised over flood preparedness

Met Office warns of yet more ‘hazardous’ weather ahead, after 500 properties hit by floodwaters

A driver was killed when a tree fell on his car during Storm Ciara, police revealed on Monday, as forecasters warned of still more hazardous weather ahead.

The government has made available emergency financial aid for areas wrecked by the weather with Robert Jenrick, the local government secretary, saying: “I have activated the emergency Bellwin scheme to support communities affected by Storm Ciara in West Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.”

Under the Bellwin scheme, councils dealing with the effects of the storm can apply to have some of their costs, such as temporary accommodation and staff overtime, reimbursed by the government.

Storm Ciara left thousands without power as it smashed into the UK on Sunday, while homes were evacuated and buildings were damaged. It brought 97mph gusts to the Needles in the Isle of Wight and rainfall levels of 178mm were recorded at Honister Pass in Cumbria – and on Monday continuing tough conditions hampered the recovery effort.

Also on Monday, ministers were criticised for the government’s lack of flood preparedness. Tory MP Philip Davies branded it “completely unacceptable” that people hit by Storm Ciara had also been victims of previous floods.

Mr Davies, the Shipley MP, said: “Many of my constituents who were flooded over the weekend are exactly the same people who were flooded on Boxing Day in 2015 which really is completely unacceptable. Can she [the environment secretary] assure me that the flood defence programme that the government has in place will ensure that my constituents in Shipley won’t have to suffer this fate yet again?”

Theresa Villiers, the environment secretary, replied: “The government is determined to press on with its major investment in our flood defences to better protect thousands of homes and businesses across the country.” There would be, she added, a “fresh look to make sure that everything possible is being done to keep those flood defence projects on track for delivery”.

The Yorkshire Evening Post used its front page to decry a £23m shortfall in flood protection funding and also compared Ciara to the 2015 devastation.

Luke Pollard, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, said the government “needs to ask itself since parliament declared a climate emergency what is it doing differently on flooding, on protecting our communities”, while former leader Ed Miliband said ministers had still failed to help his constituents in Doncaster who were forced from their homes by flooding in November.

Mr Pollard added that council areas at risk of flooding had suffered swingeing government cuts and that the Environment Agency‘s staffing levels had fallen by one-fifth under the Conservatives.

The announcement of emergency funds came after Hampshire Constabulary said a motorist was killed while driving his Mercedes on the A33 from Winchester to Micheldever. A tree toppled on to his car just before 4pm on Sunday and the driver, a 58-year-old man from Micheldever, died at the site of the crash.

Adverse weather is set to continue. A snow warning has been issued for parts of the Midlands and eastern England and similar alerts for heavy snow and strong winds are in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland. People in northwest England have been told to watch out for snow and ice through to Tuesday.

There was also a yellow snow and ice warning covering these regions on Wednesday, as snow showers and icy stretches could cause further disruption. Forecasters said some areas could see blizzards with up to 20cm of snow. There were also 74 flood warnings in place across the country on Monday, as of 8.15pm.

Flights, ferries and trains all faced disruption as the UK struggled to recover from Sunday’s storm and workers fought against the effect of its tail end.

Network Rail said that thousands of engineers had “battled horrendous conditions” throughout Sunday and overnight into Monday in a bid to clear tracks and repair damage after strong winds blew trees, sheds, roofs and trampolines and other debris on to the railway. Overhead power lines were also brought down.

The West Coast Main Line was suspended between Carlisle and Glasgow due to flooding at Caldew Viaduct, Cumbria. Speed restrictions were put in place on several routes, meaning journeys took longer than normal and frequencies were reduced.

Airlines operating to and from UK airports were also affected by the weather conditions, with more than 100 flights cancelled. British Airways and easyJet appeared to be the worst affected, although several other airlines also cancelled flights.

Additional reporting by Press Association