Roads and homes submerged as people 'stuck' in flooding

A number of roads and some homes are "completely submerged" after heavy rain caused more flooding overnight.

The River Axe in Somerset has burst its banks causing flooding to houses near Chard Junction, which one resident called "insane".

Several 999 calls were made to the fire service with people “stuck in their vehicles in floodwater” in Ilminster, it said.

Drivers are being urged to plan ahead after the A358 between Stibbear Lane and Donyatt Hill, near Ilminster, was closed for several hours.

Rachel Waller, 33, lives opposite the Chard Junction Creamery.

She said she had had to rescue her rabbits from her garden and protect her home with flood barriers to stop more water getting in.

“It started at about 3am,” she said. “Normally the river is about half a metre high. It went over 2.7 metres throughout the night so the road, our house, everything is completely submerged. It’s just insane.”

Chard Junction has seen heavy flooding overnight

Ms Waller has lived in her house for four years and said it was the fifth flood she had seen.

"It’s an old house, it’s designed to flood in one respect,” she continued. "It comes in, it goes out easily, but it’s a bit of a pain to clean up.

"The worst one was in December, we had two floods in one week, and the second one was our whole house. That’s the worst one that I’ve seen in years.”

Ms Waller had to rescue her rabbits after her garden was flooded with water

There are currently four flood warnings in place for Somerset, including the River Yeo from Sherbourne to Yeovil, the River Parrett from South Perrott to Thorney, the River Isle at Ilminster and the River Isle from Chard Reservoir to Hambridge.

Emergency services are advising people to “travel carefully” amid reports of people getting stuck in their vehicles.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it had rescued four people from their cars at Ilminster and also in Broadclyst and Axminster in Devon.

“Fire control have received several 999 calls with people stuck in their vehicles in floodwater,” a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.

“Please don't risk driving through floodwater, especially when it is dark and you can't see the depth of the water.”