“Shattered Lives: The Heartbreaking Aftermath of North West Floods and the Rage of Affected Communities”

At approximately 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Caroline McClymont gazed out of her bedroom window at the Sankey brook across the street. It appeared somewhat fuller than normal – a reasonable expectation considering the rain. “However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary,” McClymont remarked. “There was no sign it was going to flood.”

In less than an hour, the entire street was inundated. The residence owned by McClymont, a science educator, and her husband Alan, a technician, for the past 31 years was filled with filthy water, rising above the kitchen counters. It submerged the sofas, washing machine, Christmas tree, and everything on the ground level. The neighbor’s vehicle was engulfed. “Everything is ruined. Nothing could be salvaged,” McClymont stated. “It will require six or seven months to restore it.”

“It’s all those cherished memories collected over the years and the little items that are irreplaceable. Nothing can be saved because it’s not merely canal water; it’s sewage from the drains.”

The destruction caused by the water – which has now receded – is extensive. Yet for McClymont and her neighbors, the flooding brought no shock. For years they have implored the local council and Environment Agency to enhance defenses in the region after a series of similar occurrences, including floods in 2000, 2012, 2015, and a less severe event last month.

Their street in Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside, is situated on low-lying land at the junction of multiple waterways, including the Sankey canal and two brooks, rendering it susceptible to flooding. The situation was worsened during the New Year flood when a water pump intended to swiftly drain the area failed to engage – reportedly due to a power interruption at a United Utilities facility caused by the brook overflowing.

However, McClymont, who chairs the Blackbrook Flood Group and administers a WhatsApp group for flood alerts among residents, believes basic actions that could reduce the risk have been overlooked, such as routine maintenance and dredging. Pipes meant to direct water when flows are elevated have become clogged with leaves, which she and Alan often clear themselves during heavy rainfall. A promised telemetry system to monitor water levels has not been activated, with residents informed it is still undergoing calibration.

“We’ve been advocating for this for years,” she expressed. “People inquire, ‘Why not just relocate?’ but purchasing another home is not feasible for me. No one is going to buy it after it’s been flooded. So we’re trapped here.”

A few doors down, Chris Moles, 60, a microbiologist who moved in last year, estimates she and her spouse, hotel manager Adrian, 53, have lost belongings valued at £30,000, including a vehicle, kitchen items, and a Macbook – along with her microscope, fossils, rare books, and an autograph from Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock. “Of course we’re alive. Everyone survived. But this is the worst it’s ever been,” she remarked. The couple also lost artwork by Adrian’s son Adam, who passed away from Addison’s disease five years ago at 15. “We would have lost everything else if we could have just retained that drawing he created,” Moles added.

Before acquiring the house – their first – in April, they claim they were assured that defenses were in place and that the possibility of flooding was “very slim.” “We were told they had implemented measures and that the likelihood of flooding was very low. That did not turn out to be accurate,” she lamented.

“It’s heart-wrenching. I realize there are countless people out there who need assistance. Many locations are experiencing flooding. However, after this has transpired four or five times, you would think they would have taken action by now. You pay council tax and trust the authorities to act in your favor. And that has not occurred. We have literally been abandoned.”

Seven miles away in Bewsey, Warrington, residents near another section of the Sankey canal encountered a comparable plight. Vulnerable individuals residing in supported housing were among the most severely affected after a brook linked to the canal overflowed.

Among those affected was Barbara Gee, 61, who was preparing a New Year’s Day meal for her husband of 42 years, Alan, 67, when the water started flooding in. At approximately 3:30 p.m., she had peered out of her bungalow’s front window and observed the playing fields and road submerged.

It seemed to be advancing. However, after a flood in 2021, the couple had received a flood barrier from the housing association managing the property to attach to their front entrance.

Gee sent her daughter Liz a photograph of the floodwaters that had reached her doorstep. “OMG,” Liz replied, inquiring whether the flood barrier was functioning. “For now,” Gee responded. But within half an hour, the defense had been overwhelmed. She described how water rushed in not only through the front door but into every room: it gushed up through the bathroom drains, emerged from the toilet, and seeped in through the walls. “I was sobbing. I just burst into tears,” she recounted.

The couple has lost nearly everything they possess. On Friday, three days post-flood, their belongings were heaped on their front lawn, tainted or ruined. The pile included a sofa, kitchen gadgets, carpets, and Gee’s electric scooter.

An alert system used to signal for assistance during an emergency was malfunctioning. Their garments and footwear were soaked. “We lost four trash bags worth of food from the freezer, and everything is completely soaked,” Gee mentioned.

They are resilient and appreciative: they have relatives who can assist them. Moreover, they express gratitude to the local Warrington council for accommodating them in a hotel while they attempt to resolve their issues. Yet, they sense that they and their neighbors have been overlooked.

“The flood barriers failed to operate. It has to be significantly more secure. We’ve received aid with lodging and sustenance; I can’t criticize them for that. They’ve been exceptionally helpful in that regard. They have made efforts to erect flood barriers, which proved ineffective. They likely assumed that would assist. However, what is the point of having flood barriers if the water is still seeping in through the walls?” Gee remarked. The clean-up process will require months, with no financial support from contents insurance, which they couldn’t afford due to “the cost of living,” and because following the previous flood, “it has become too expensive.”

Their neighbor Jeffrey Frain, 78, a crossing guard and former bus operator, whose belongings are stacked outside his bungalow as well, finds himself in a similar predicament. “I think obtaining insurance here is very costly … When it flooded last time, it raised the premiums,” he explained. He described the flood barriers provided by the housing association as a “waste of space.”

“I installed the flood barriers, but the water infiltrated within minutes. I attempted to sweep it out but finally gave up,” he stated. “It’s devastating for me. I own a dog. I live alone. I’m currently staying with one of my sons, but I feel like a burden and dislike imposing.”

He continued: “The flooding has persisted for years. It’s a continuous issue, and I don’t believe they’ve done enough.”

In Haydock, the clean-up operation is in full force. On Friday, volunteers arrived equipped with cleaning tools to scrub bathrooms and hastily load devastated belongings into skips.

The McClymonts – one of the few families on the street able to secure insurance – must retain everything until the assessors arrive, resulting in their driveway being filled with 20 black bags.

The most distressing aspect, according to Amy, 25, who lives with her stepfather Richard Coulburn and mother Joanne nearby, is that it seems this could have been averted. “It’s traumatic,” Amy states. “We will be traumatized every time it rains. We need this to no longer be a concern. I find it ridiculous. It happened around 10 years ago. How can it happen once more?”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency stated: “Protecting communities is our utmost priority … Teams from the Environment Agency have been working tirelessly over the New Year, managing flood defenses, issuing flood alerts, and assisting affected communities.

“On a larger scale, we are implementing a long-term funding initiative for flood defenses, with an investment exceeding £1 billion this year to enhance national resilience by constructing new and upgrading existing flood barriers.”

Adam Hug, spokesperson for the Local Government Association regarding the environment, remarked: “While councils always strive to ensure their areas have the best resilience possible and prioritize efforts to keep residents safe in response to severe weather, financial limitations on local government impact their ability to address flooding issues as thoroughly as they would prefer …

“The country is not adequately ready [for the consequences of climate change], and central government must focus its efforts in collaboration with local government to bridge this gap.”

Regarding the flooding in Haydock, United Utilities commented: “A pumping station was inundated when the nearby brook overflowed its banks. This resulted in a power failure at our facility. We have dispatched a tanker to the location to manage our operations.”