Big clean-up begins after flash flood hits Coverack
--- Flash flooding saw torrents of water sweep through the Cornish village on Tuesday afternoon
--- Coastguards rescued a number of people trapped in their homes
--- Residents reported hailstones the size of 50 pence pieces smashing windows
--- About 50 properties have been affected by flooding
--- Woman, 87, climbed out of bathroom window
--- Sewers compromised but drinking water is safe, says Environment Agency
--- Council reserves 'will be used' to repair damage
--- All roads in and out of the village remain closed
Updates on Wednesday 19 July 2017
Tamsin Melville
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall
Some water courses in the Coverack area have been polluted and some sewers compromised, but drinking water is safe, the Environment Agency says.
Ben Johnstone, from the agency, also said during a public meeting in the village that it had been confirmed that about 100mm of rain - 4 inches - fell in two to three hours.
As well as the devastation we saw in Coverack nearby properties were also affected by the flash flooding.
Phillipa Richards sent in this view from Rosenithon, which she says is "just around the corner from Coverack".
If you have footage you'd like to share then email us.
The view of one householder as flood waters run through her garden
Adrian Campbell, Environment Correspondent
BBC Spotlight
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Jon Kay
BBC News
So far, the main focus has been Coverack's pretty harbour, which is littered with debris of every kind.
I've seen boulders, fence panels, a shed, a mobility scooter and even a kitchen sink - which have all been washed-down from the hills above in the torrents of water.
The mud and silt are unpleasant - but that damage is mainly cosmetic. The more worrying aspect of all this for local people is the main road into the village.
A route which normally brings in thousands of tourists each day during the summer months is a total mess.
The tarmac has been ripped-up. There are holes several feet deep, exposing pipes and cables. Repairing this road looks like a major engineering task.
"But we're Cornish," said one local lady. "We'll cope."
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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency sent a helicopter from Newquay which rescued two people from a house
Press Association
Image source, PAThe cost of repairs and insurance in Coverack is already estimated to be over £1m, with structural damage to roads and buildings in the area.
Residents and business owners affected have already been told council reserves will be used to help repair the damage.
Adam Paynter, leader of Cornwall Council, told BBC Radio Cornwall: "With things like this, money won't be a problem - we do have reserves we can use for this type of incident."
The village of Coverack, which was hit by a torrent of water yesterday, had more than £300,000 allocated for flood defences just two years ago, external. But this money was to protect the picturesque harbour from the sea – not from inland flash flooding.
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BBC Radio 5 live
Image source, Adam PaynterOne of the roads into Coverack "is going to take some time to repair", a senior fire officer says.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Phil Martin said unprecedented levels of rain brought a deluge down from the hills and overwhelmed the village.
He said: "There's significant damage to one of the roads into the village, which is going to take some time to repair.
"A lot of debris from people's houses - so sheds, outhouses, oil tanks and things like that - have been washed away.
"A number of houses did suffer flooding inside as well, but the full assessment is still going on whilst we're working with the residents to establish what damage there is and what they need."
Andrew Segal
Local Live
Image source, Adam PaynterAbout 12 firefighters are still in Coverack after flash flooding, a senior fire officer says.
Crews were at the village overnight after heavy rainfall hit at about 15:00 on Tuesday, affecting an estimated 50 properties, but there were no reports of serious injuries.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Phil Martin said firefighters were remaining at the scene for the morning "to make sure everyone is safe in their home".
He added: "We're keen to have presence in the village because access is still difficult at the moment."
Jon Kay
BBC News
Resident Mary Roberts talks about losing some of her possessions in flash floods in Coverack village, Cornwall.
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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency sent a helicopter from Newquay which rescued two people from a house.
The whole of the region was hit by yesterday's thunderstorm. This video of the storm was sent in by Rachael Jackson who was in Laira, Plymouth.
She describes it as a snapshot of "two hours of a crazy lightning storm".
See it in real time and then we've slowed it down so you can get a better look.
Lightning over Plymouth as heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the South West
This image of the lightning was captured by Vanessa Saunders in Chudleigh, Devon.
Image source, Victoria SaundersNaomi Kennedy
BBC Radio Cornwall
A man working in Coverack when storms started was hit by hailstones the size of "marbles", he says.
Stan Harris (pictured) had been laying slate in the village when the rain began to fall.
He said: "We started to hear the rumble and then suddenly I was hit with marbles, hitting me in the face. I couldn't get out. I was just stuck in a shed.
"In the end I thought, 'I've got to get home', so we left and it took me nearly an hour just to go a couple of miles up the road, and everything was hitting me down through the village."
He said he thought his was the last vehicle to make it out of the village.
"By the time we got up past the lady we were working for, she said we were probably one of the last ones to get through because then another van floated through. By the time we got home, it was chaos. Absolute chaos."
Andrew Segal
Local Live
A coastal wall in Coverack has been damaged by flash flooding, a flood manager says.
Environment Agency Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager Ben Johnstone said the wall was damaged because its job was to protect against coastal erosion and "it's not offering a flood defence function".
He added: "We'll help with repairs, assess what the issues are, see immediate risks are dealt with, clear the water courses and then move into the recovery phase, lessons learnt, etc."
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Andrew Segal
Local Live
A public meeting is to be held at 11:30 at the Paris Hotel to discuss Coverack's flooding and the clean-up.
Image source, MCAProperties were damaged and several people had to be rescued in the village on the Lizard Peninsula on Tuesday, including some by helicopter (pictured), when torrents of water swept through the village, leaving roads into and out of the village impassable.
Cornwall Council said members of the council’s localism team have been in the village from early morning to provide support and guidance.
These photos of Rosenithon, just around the corner from Coverack, show the floodwater in full flow.
Thanks to Phillipa for these photos - if you have any to share with us drop us an email.
Image source, Phillipa Richards
Image source, Phillipa Richards
Image source, Phillipa RichardsAllow Twitter content?
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It'll become mostly cloudy particularly around exposed coasts to the south and west where it will be quite murky for a time this morning.
This afternoon the cloud will lift, but some scattered, locally heavy showers will develop. Moderate east or southeasterly winds will turn to the southwest and become fresh for a time around the coast. Maximum temperature: 21C (70F).
