Counting the cost
On this day last year, a torrent of rain engulfed parts of the Bay leaving a path of devastation from which some shops are still recovering.
Dave Bolger, 68, from Brixham lost his life after suffering a heart attack putting out sandbags outside his house in Horsepool Street.
And in worst-hit Torquay town centre nearly every business from Market Street through to Fleet Street suffered some form of damage or loss of takings on the usually peak August trading day.
New measures have since been brought in to help protect shops including pumps, barriers and an agreement for buses to stop to avoid creating wakes.
And plans are now also on the table including constructing a giant tunnel underneath the town centre to help alleviate floodwaters as the council says Fleet Street 'comes to the end of its useful life'.
New Look in Fleet Street suffered some of the worst damage and nearly caused them to pull out from the unit.
They've taken the cost of the tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to stock on the chin, rather than through insurers, after their stockroom was under eight foot of water.
But the situation created potentially hazardous working environments as staff did their bit in the clean up.
"Some got very ill," deputy manager Fi Hazlitt said.
"They were wading through it and it really wasn't nice for the staff.
"In the end we had to get a professional team in that were used to dealing with removing sewage."
The branch was closed for weeks while the cleanup operation took place during the peak summer holidays.
After it reopened the store closed again for a further six weeks while bosses decided if it was viable to keep open.
Eventually they did.
But having 'absorbed' the cost as a company, staff still encounter some problems on a day-to-day basis.
"We lost all our paperwork and documents," Fi said.
"And also all our fixtures and fittings.
"Because we didn't claim they weren't replaced.
"It makes a difference to everyday at the store and the way it looks.
"It affects what we can and can't put out on the shop floor."
Specialist store Enigma in Fleet Walk lost trade as the waters lapped their front door.
But one year on, when the rain comes down, uncertainty still sets in.
Co-owner Sally Fowden said: "We did make a successful claim for loss of trading," she said.
"I do now worry when it rains a lot.
"We have sandbags that we put out.
"There's been a couple of occasions where we've had to come down in the middle of the night when it's been raining hard, just to make sure that everything is still all right and not flooded."
Officers Club in Fleet Walk was closed for four weeks after the flood and lost £25,000 in stock alone.
If it happens again, assistant manager Helen Honey is sure of the outcome.
"That would be it for us," she said.
"We couldn't afford for it to happen again.
"It took all our stock and we were closed for such a long time.
"If it does flood then that will be it."
Since the flooding, Fleet Walk management have taken steps to help their clients.
Deputy manager John Seymour said that despite the flooding, their own insurance premiums increased.
That's down to the centre's disaster management plan.
"Most people think of it in terms of terrorism," he said.
"But actually for us, it's more useful in terms of electricity cuts and especially flooding."
"The plan worked really well. It's one of the main reasons why many of the shops were up and running so quickly.
"But as part of the disaster plan we've brought in some new procedures to help.
"The pumps provided by the emergency services leave the last four inches of water. We've invested in one that can get us down to the last half an inch.
"We have sat down with the council and South West Water and analysed what happened.
"We took a look at the flood evacuation plan and have also put in some low lying walls which we hope would give us up to about 30 minutes.
"We've got barge boards that we can deploy to block or channel the water.
"The problem is that Torquay has its own microclimate. It can be doing something here and something completely different in Paignton.
He added: "Last time the staff reacted very quickly," he said.
"It cost me about £30 in pasties mind you."
Cabinet member Cllr Chris Lewis said the whole street in Fleet Walk was being looked into.
"A flooding report was produced after the event which identified the extent of the flooding," he said.
"Fleet Street is nearly 20 years old now and is coming to the end of its useful life with an increase in the number of repairs required. Therefore, we are looking for funding to enable us to reconstruct this road. So far this money has not been available, but we are progressing a number of options to attract funding. In the short term we will continue to repair any damage."
And those plans could include a new system for getting rid of flood water.
A spokesman for South West Water said: "The excessive rainfall that occurred in Torquay last August, causing flooding in the Fleet Walk area, has been described as an extreme event that should only occur once in 30 years.
"However, since last August, South West Water has been working with the Environment Agency and Torbay Council on a joint proposal to construct a tunnel underneath the town centre to help alleviate floodwaters by carrying surface water away from the existing sewerage system.
"These proposals are still being developed and will need to be approved by Ofwat and would be subject to financial contributions from the Environment Agency and Torbay Council."
