Storm Babet Deluge: Hundreds Evacuate Amid Severe Warnings

• 500 homes in Nottinghamshire under urgent evacuation due to Storm Babet flooding.
• Nottinghamshire County Council declares a major incident.
• River Idle reaches unprecedented levels, woman dies in Chesterfield.

Approximately 500 homes in a town in Nottinghamshire are under an urgent evacuation advisory due to flooding attributed to Storm Babet.

Nottinghamshire County Council has officially declared a major incident in response to escalating water levels along the River Idle, putting the residents of Retford at high risk.

The river reached unprecedented heights on Sunday, and the water levels continue to rise. In an unfortunate incident earlier, a woman in her 80s lost her life in Chesterfield as a result of the storm-induced flooding.

Derbyshire Constabulary initially said the death was “believed to be related to the flooding”, but later stated only that investigations were “continuing”.

In the Retford area, two severe flood warnings, indicating a life-threatening situation, are currently in effect.

While the forecast predicts a reduction in rain across the country on Sunday, bringing drier and sunnier weather, the Environment Agency has cautioned that significant river flooding may persist for several days.

Flood duty manager Katharine Smith said: “Following persistent, heavy rain from Storm Babet, severe river flooding impacts are probable in parts of the East Midlands and South Yorkshire… into Sunday.

“Ongoing flooding is probable on some larger rivers including the Severn, Ouse and Trent through to Tuesday.”

England currently has over 150 flood warnings and approximately 140 flood alerts active. Residents in Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire have been alerted to anticipate further flooding in the days ahead.

In some regions of Scotland, where rare red weather warnings were issued during the weekend, there are concerns that some families may be unable to return home for Christmas due to the extensive damage caused.

Widespread travel disruptions have persisted into Sunday, with train companies advising of disruptions in various areas, including Yorkshire, East Anglia, the East Midlands, and Scotland.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has advised customers against traveling north of Edinburgh and has temporarily suspended services from the city to Aberdeen or Inverness due to urgent repairs underway at Plessey Viaduct.

BBC Weather forecaster Gemma Plumb said: “There were a number of places in north and east England, and in Scotland, that saw at least a month’s worth of rain in a few days as a result of Storm Babet, with one or two places seeing closer to twice the average monthly rainfall – one of which was Wattisham in Suffolk.”

Since the storm made landfall on Thursday, three fatalities have been confirmed. Among them, a man in his 60s tragically lost his life when he was caught in rapidly flowing floodwaters in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire.

Additionally, a 56-year-old man died in a collision with a tree near Forfar, and a 67-year-old woman was swept into the Water of Lee and did not survive.

On Sunday, Police Scotland informed BBC News that they were still actively searching for an unidentified driver who had been reported as trapped in a vehicle near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, on Friday.

Following the announcement of the woman’s passing in Chesterfield on Sunday morning, local MP Toby Perkins stated that he had engaged with the woman’s family on Saturday.

“There must be a full investigation into this tragedy, including whether any more can be done to prevent this area flooding again”, he posted on social media.

In the meantime, Nottinghamshire County Council has described the circumstances in Retford as “unprecedented” and has initiated the establishment of a rest center at Retford Leisure Centre.

Council leader Ben Bradley, who is also the Conservative MP for Mansfield, said police and fire services were supporting local people, adding: “This severe warning means potential risk to life, so it really is important that residents do please cooperate with those services.”

According to Derby City Council, the River Derwent has experienced record-breaking water levels, and they have cautioned that the cleanup process following the floods may extend over several days.

People helping out

In other areas, individuals were compelled to relocate to temporary shelter due to flooding in proximity to Aberdeen and Angus in Scotland, as well as in Debenham, Suffolk.

Jill Scott, an independent council member from Angus, conveyed her astonishment at water breaching local flood defenses, remarking that such an occurrence had never been witnessed in the area before.

The Brechin and Edzell representative told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The scenes are just incredible, we’ve lost part of the wall… it’s just absolutely horrendous… it’s hard to believe what you’re seeing actually.”

Ms. Scott also noted that due to the high cost of living, numerous residents whose homes sustained significant damage might lack insurance coverage since they couldn’t afford it.

Nevertheless, she emphasized the incredible support and assistance the local community has provided to one another.

Climate experts assert that extreme flooding incidents become more likely as a result of climate change, primarily due to the elevated potential for intense rainfall brought about by a warming atmosphere.

It’s essential to recognize that while climate change plays a role in flooding, many variables contribute to these events, and it often takes time for scientists to determine the extent of climate change’s influence on specific weather occurrences.

The world has already experienced a temperature increase of approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius since the onset of the industrial era, and this trend will persist unless governments worldwide take substantial measures to reduce emissions.

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