Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Storm Ingrid has caused significant damage along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, resulting in the partial destruction of a historic pier and the collapse of a sea wall beside a railway line. The storm’s impact was especially severe in Teignmouth, where waves battered the area overnight leading into Saturday. The town’s Grand Pier, which originally opened in 1867, suffered damage as part of the structure was washed away by the relentless seas.
According to Teignmouth’s mayor, Cate Williams, the loss to the pier is deeply upsetting given its long history. She noted, “It has lost part of the pier structure itself, that has dissolved and gone away into the sea.” She attributed this damage partly to the pier’s age and the wear it has endured over the years. Despite having withstood many weather challenges and world wars, the pier now shows signs of significant deterioration. The storm also hit Dawlish hard, where a sea wall that protects the nearby railway line partially collapsed amid the storm’s force.
Dawlish resident Peter Large described the scene as “very dramatic,” emphasizing that a substantial section of the protective sea wall had crumbled. “The wall is now gone at either end,” he said, detailing the 80 to 90 feet stretch where the wall has fallen. Waves continued to crash over both the railway line and the remaining wall structure. In response to the damage, Network Rail issued a black alert, the highest level of warning, due to waves reaching heights of 12 feet that struck the sea wall. This is only the second time such an alert has been raised since a major storm devastated the same area in 2014.
The disruption extended to transport services, with rail journeys suspended between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth while inspections are arranged after the storm. Great Western Railway urged passengers to avoid travel, assuring that tickets would remain valid on Sunday. In Cornwall, the storm took a toll on businesses too. Emily Davidson, owner of Castle Beach Cafe in Falmouth, shared how her relatively new establishment, housed in a converted shipping container, was damaged by waves that breached the building. “It’s really disheartening,” she said, describing how the storm caused electrical failures and broke glass doors despite efforts to storm-proof the cafe. Additionally, rail services in Cornwall experienced cancellations due to flooding, with debris covering tracks and only limited replacement bus services available. Trees have also fallen in the region, blocking roads such as the A377 near Lapford, with warnings that other trees weakened by previous storms remain unstable
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.