Heavy rain brings South Devon floods and traffic problems
HEAVY overnight rain brought flooding problems to South Devon on Friday morning.
Firefighters from Newton Abbot were called out at 6.30am to reports of a person stuck in floodwater in their car at Teigngrace.
A specialist rescue team from Plymouth was also sent to the scene.
Crews set to work in dry suits to rescue the person uninjured.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
The main A380 road between Exeter and Newton Abbot was affected in both directions from Ashcombe through to Kingskerswell, with standing water in a number of places.
Long tailbacks built up around flooded parts of the main road through Kingskerswell and on Besigheim Way on the outskirts of Newton Abbot.
During the afternoon a collapsed manhole near the Hungry Horse traffic lights was causing long delays.
Exeter Road in Teigngrace was closed in both directions because of flooding and Whistley Hill at Ashburton was also shut both ways between the A38 and Vealenia Terrace because of a landslip.
The nearby primary school was closed for the day as a result.
At 8.15am firefighters were called to Third Avenue, Teignmouth after a report of a collasped structure.
On arrival fire crews discovered a three-metre section of wall had collasped onto the pavement. Concerns were raised that it might have affected the gas main.
Fire crews made the scene safe and liased with a gas engineer to ensure the gas main was not affected.
Devon County Council said: "Overnight there has been extensive flood damage and currently there are concerns over the stability of Love Lane as there has been movement in the road and the tarmac has lifted.
"The police have closed all roads to the school and therefore in order to keep everyone safe school is closed today.
"The highways agency will be out to work on the road over the next few days and we currently expect to be open on Monday."
At 10pm on Thursday firefighters received a number of calls from householders in Ashburton reporting flooding.
There have been landslips on the A383 near Bickington, Willow Park Lane in Kingskerswell and the A379 near Shaldon where there is also a fallen tree. Luscombe Hill in Dawlish has also been blocked by a fallen tree.
The main road between Torquay and Teignmouth was also closed on Friday morning as a result of a landslip at Labrador Bend.
Devon County Council is urging people to travel with extreme care today and to be prepared for the possibility of disruption on some of Devon’s roads.
Heavy downpours and strong winds are forecast to continue throughout today and the County Council is advising people to be aware of surface water, flooding, debris and damage on the highway network.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “Our highways teams are working hard to deal with a number of incidents - flooding, landslips, fallen trees, and blocked roads so do expect the possibility of delays but we are trying to minimise disruption as much as possible. We would urge everyone travelling this morning to be aware of surface water and not to drive through floodwater. With rain expected to continue there is the potential for more disruption, particularly as we head towards high tide at lunchtime, so motorists should drive with extreme caution and stick to the main road network where possible.”
Comments