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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Hailstorm sparks 'absolute chaos' | Hailstorm sparks 'absolute chaos' |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| East Devon and parts of Cornwall have been hit by serious flooding after a night of storms, including severe rain and heavy hail. | East Devon and parts of Cornwall have been hit by serious flooding after a night of storms, including severe rain and heavy hail. |
| Devon and Somerset fire service said the situation in the Ottery St Mary area was "absolute chaos". | Devon and Somerset fire service said the situation in the Ottery St Mary area was "absolute chaos". |
| Portland Coastguard said its volunteers rescued a number of people, including several elderly homeowners, and there is fear over lost livestock. | Portland Coastguard said its volunteers rescued a number of people, including several elderly homeowners, and there is fear over lost livestock. |
| An evacuation centre has been set up at the hospital in Ottery St Mary. | An evacuation centre has been set up at the hospital in Ottery St Mary. |
| It got worse and worse and one crew got stuck in a six foot drift Susanne Reed, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service | It got worse and worse and one crew got stuck in a six foot drift Susanne Reed, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service |
| Susanne Reed from Devon Fire Control said it was the worst flooding she had seen in 25 years. | Susanne Reed from Devon Fire Control said it was the worst flooding she had seen in 25 years. |
| "It has been absolute chaos, it started just after midnight when we were out rescuing people stuck in their cars in flood water. | "It has been absolute chaos, it started just after midnight when we were out rescuing people stuck in their cars in flood water. |
| "It got worse and worse and one crew got stuck in a 6ft [hail] drift," she said. | |
| She said crews had been rescuing people "constantly" and she could not begin to say how many had been helped to safety. | She said crews had been rescuing people "constantly" and she could not begin to say how many had been helped to safety. |
| A spokeswoman for Portland Coastguard said 11 coastguard volunteers from Bere had rescued three people who were trapped in a bungalow, using their four-wheel drive vehicles. | |
| She said they also rescued several elderly people from a housing estate. | She said they also rescued several elderly people from a housing estate. |
| They have been taken to the hospital in Ottery St Mary, which is acting as an evacuation centre. | They have been taken to the hospital in Ottery St Mary, which is acting as an evacuation centre. |
| The town had been preparing for its bonfire night celebrations | The town had been preparing for its bonfire night celebrations |
| One resident who spoke to BBC News from her home just outside Ottery St Mary said: "There is 2ft 6ins of water on the road. I can't get out of the house. | One resident who spoke to BBC News from her home just outside Ottery St Mary said: "There is 2ft 6ins of water on the road. I can't get out of the house. |
| "My partner farms nearby and he thinks he's lost about 500 sheep which were out in fields which are now completely underwater." | "My partner farms nearby and he thinks he's lost about 500 sheep which were out in fields which are now completely underwater." |
| Tony Fabry, who runs the town's post office, said: "At one point I was watching beer barrels, sandwich boards and even a children's slide floating down the road. | Tony Fabry, who runs the town's post office, said: "At one point I was watching beer barrels, sandwich boards and even a children's slide floating down the road. |
| "It was absolutely horrendous." | "It was absolutely horrendous." |
| The town had been preparing for a carnival this weekend, ahead of its annual Tar Barrel Rolling festival on 5 November. | The town had been preparing for a carnival this weekend, ahead of its annual Tar Barrel Rolling festival on 5 November. |
| Devon and Cornwall police warned motorists that roads in the area were "treacherous" and a number of routes had been closed because of flooding or ice. | Devon and Cornwall police warned motorists that roads in the area were "treacherous" and a number of routes had been closed because of flooding or ice. |
| In Boscastle in Cornwall six premises were flooded overnight because of a blocked storm drain. | In Boscastle in Cornwall six premises were flooded overnight because of a blocked storm drain. |
| Heavy rainfall has also led to problems with surface water on Cornwall's roads. | Heavy rainfall has also led to problems with surface water on Cornwall's roads. |
| Have you been affected by the floods? What is the situation where you live? Send us your story using the form below. | Have you been affected by the floods? What is the situation where you live? Send us your story using the form below. |
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