Chippenham Continues Recovery Efforts Following Storm Bert Flooding

A town in Wiltshire is presently engaged in recovery efforts following severe flooding attributed to Storm Bert late last month. Chippenham experienced significant inundation on 25 November when the River Avon overflowed, submerging the central area of the town. Numerous commercial establishments and private residences were impacted by the floodwaters, with many suffering the loss of inventory and personal belongings. Nine days subsequently, the BBC revisited the community to assess its progress. April Barlow, a resident of Westmead Lane, situated close to the town centre, reported that her basement was flooded and her household pump, typically employed for smaller inundations, was overwhelmed. She stated that her cellar “was absolutely full of water, it came up the stairs and threatened the hall – all the electrics were under water.” She added, “I honestly thought it was going to come in the house – we only had two inches to spare.” Ms Barlow possessed a more direct insight into the approaching floodwaters than many. Residing in a listed building, she has a well within her living room that allows her to monitor the water table – a situation she described as “scary” during the event. Ultimately, she obtained a pond pump from a relative, which proved effective in removing the water. However, she believes that greater measures are necessary to safeguard residences. She recounted, “The fire service were kind, they were looking for strategies for helping the elderly residents next door and we managed to grab them for a minute, but they had no resources to pump the water out.” She further commented, “The Environment Agency were triaging – we couldn’t be a priority, as it wasn’t a threat to life, but you would think there would be a safety net for threats to homes.” Amelia Hanratty, who resides adjacent to April, experienced significant damage to her garden and ancillary structures during the inundation. Ms Hanratty stated, “The whole garden was completely submerged, including the sheds and the summer house.” She added, “It didn’t go in the house, but the summer house is where I keep my memory boxes, stamp collections, photographs, books and all my memories – just gone.” She mentioned, “We had a skip arrive Monday to take everything away that was damaged in the flood,” describing the process as “very tiring.” Natalia McGuigan, a self-employed barber operating at G Hatto on the High Street, reported that she and her co-workers required five days to resume business at the establishment. “You wouldn’t believe what we did in a week,” she remarked. “We didn’t even know if we’d be open then,” she continued, adding, “We had the heating on all through the week – we also had a dehumidifier.” She explained, “We had to throw out quite a lot. The kit in the cupboards underneath our work station, everything in there – that had to go. The sofas had to go.” However, she noted that her clientele had demonstrated immense support. She elaborated, “Some have come in and brought us gifts, some have come in and told us how sorry they are, but we’ve got a really good clientele base here.” She concluded, “We’re really lucky and they’ve been really patient with us as well.” While the town continues its recovery, there is an anticipation that it will avoid the most severe aspects of the upcoming winter weather, particularly with additional storms forecast for later this week. For updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.