Residents still not home a year after storm

Evie and Tony Perchard said they feel lucky to be alive after their house was destroyed by Storm Ciaran

A year on from the devastation caused by Storm Ciaran, some Jersey residents are still not back in their homes.

Evie and Tony Perchard, who were injured when a "significant tornado" destroyed their home at Fliquet, have been living in a house provided by the Parish of Trinity since last November.

Mrs Perchard said they have just been told that "subject to plans and surveyors and structural engineers" their old home will be rebuilt in two years' time.

Josh Smith from loss adjusters Channel Islands Adjusters said the extent of the damage and "contractor availability" have delayed repairs to homes.

Mrs Perchard said her husband missed death by a "nanosecond" during the storm

Mrs Perchard said she was not sure if they would feel safe living in the house.

She said: "We're in a very exposed position and when the wind blows we really do feel it up there... we might be ok, we might not."

She said they feel lucky to be alive after her husband "escaped death" on the night of the storm.

"Tony was sucked out of bed a nanosecond before a window lintel landed exactly where he'd been lying, then a roof timber went through the mattress where his legs had been... there was so much debris, it was like an apocalypse," she said.

Mrs Perchard said she had to run across the road in her nightdress and bare feet to get her neighbours to call the emergency services before they carried Mr Perchard through the fields to the ambulance.

She said he was taken to hospital "where he had four pints of blood, three units of saline and then he stopped breathing".

Mr Perchard had eleven stitches in his head and was in hospital for six days after the storm.

The couple said it is "the kindness and generosity" of people that has kept them going over the last year.

"You know there's something worth carrying on for," Mrs Perchard said.

Mr and Mrs Perchard were told their home at Fliquet should be finished rebuilding in two years' time

'Won't have a home'

Rosemary and Roy Evans had rented the same house in St Martin for 45 years, until it was destroyed in the tornado.

They have been in a cottage owned by their landlady for the last year but she needs them to move out before the end of December.

Mr and Mrs Evans have put out an "urgent" call for somewhere to live because they are “worried and scared that we won’t have a home”.

Rosemary and Roy Evans have put out an urgent call for somewhere to rent after their home was destroyed by the tornado last year

Mrs Evans said she has written to 41 estate agents and the constables and churches of all 12 parishes but has not found anywhere suitable for her, her husband and their two dogs to live.

"We are actually desperate now... I don't know what to do... we have done everything possible to find a home we can actually afford," she said.

She said she has "never been under such stress".

Tornado expert Sarah Horton said she was "shocked" that some houses are in a worse condition a year after the storm

Sarah Horton is the expert from the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) who put together the report on the tornado.

She returned to Jersey a year later to walk the path of the tornado and see "how islanders were getting on with their lives with such a devastating phenomenon".

She said she was "shocked" by how damaged parts of the island were and how some houses were in a "worse" condition a year on.

She said: "An awful lot of householders have been left in limbo, not being able to move forward with repairs or being able to move on with their lives.

"The planning process is taking a long time, people are having to deal with insurance, so life must just feel like they've come to a standstill... it's clearly been a very difficult year for many people".

'Significant claims'

Josh Smith from Channel Islands Adjusters, which saw a 600% increase in new cases after the storm hit, said the number of claims has now fallen but are still being received.

He said: "We have processed and settled a substantial number of these claims, costing insurers over £4.2m to date. Nevertheless, several significant claims remain open."

He said the company faced challenges with "contractor availability" because many builders were already working to repair "extensive damage" across the islands, which has delayed repairs to homes.

"Many policyholders are currently residing in temporary accommodations and will continue to be affected for months to come," he said.