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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Village left to mop up again as new flood defences fail | Village left to mop up again as new flood defences fail |
| (8 days later) | |
| In the summer the residents of Church Street in Kempsey, Worcestershire, held a party to celebrate the launch of new flood defences. | In the summer the residents of Church Street in Kempsey, Worcestershire, held a party to celebrate the launch of new flood defences. |
| On Sunday they were mopping up yet again after water poured out of the Hatfield Brook into homes, causing thousands of pounds of damage. | On Sunday they were mopping up yet again after water poured out of the Hatfield Brook into homes, causing thousands of pounds of damage. |
| "It's devastating," said Michael Gill, who was out of his home – Brook Cottage – for around 18 months after the great flood of 2007. "I've never known the water come up so quickly." | "It's devastating," said Michael Gill, who was out of his home – Brook Cottage – for around 18 months after the great flood of 2007. "I've never known the water come up so quickly." |
| The Environment Agency is investigating what happened. But it seems clear that for some reason the pumps that had been set up at great expense in a nearby field failed. | The Environment Agency is investigating what happened. But it seems clear that for some reason the pumps that had been set up at great expense in a nearby field failed. |
| There was no flooding when residents went to sleep on Saturday night. At 4am Gill's sister, Hazel Gill, was awoken by the sound of banging and crashing. Flood water was pouring into the house, knocking over chairs and bikes in the garage. | There was no flooding when residents went to sleep on Saturday night. At 4am Gill's sister, Hazel Gill, was awoken by the sound of banging and crashing. Flood water was pouring into the house, knocking over chairs and bikes in the garage. |
| She began waking up neighbours. They desperately tried to hold the waters back but it rushed in a torrent into around nine homes. | She began waking up neighbours. They desperately tried to hold the waters back but it rushed in a torrent into around nine homes. |
| Gill said: "The water had gone up three or four feet in a couple of hours. There was two and a half foot of water through the ground floor of my house. This happened so much more quickly than 2007. Normally it would take a couple of days for the water to come up like this." | Gill said: "The water had gone up three or four feet in a couple of hours. There was two and a half foot of water through the ground floor of my house. This happened so much more quickly than 2007. Normally it would take a couple of days for the water to come up like this." |
| By lunchtime the water had disappeared again but left behind it soggy carpets, ruined belongings and a lot of heartache. | By lunchtime the water had disappeared again but left behind it soggy carpets, ruined belongings and a lot of heartache. |
| "It didn't seem to me the rainfall was harder than 2007. That year we'd had heavy rainfall for 12 months," said Gill. "What's happened since is that the Environment Agency has done a lot of work in the village, for which we are grateful. We don't know the exact story yet but it appears one of the pumps has failed. I'm wondering whether the work they've done has made the flood risk greater if the pumps don't work. | "It didn't seem to me the rainfall was harder than 2007. That year we'd had heavy rainfall for 12 months," said Gill. "What's happened since is that the Environment Agency has done a lot of work in the village, for which we are grateful. We don't know the exact story yet but it appears one of the pumps has failed. I'm wondering whether the work they've done has made the flood risk greater if the pumps don't work. |
| "I'm pretty devastated. I was out for 18 months after the July 2007 floods. To go through that again is difficult." | "I'm pretty devastated. I was out for 18 months after the July 2007 floods. To go through that again is difficult." |
| There were tales of goodness. Colin Stronach left his possessions to the floodwater to make sure elderly neighbours Aubrey and Jennifer were safe. They were taken to the safety of the community hall in the village but by the time Stronach got back home, his ground floor was flooded. | There were tales of goodness. Colin Stronach left his possessions to the floodwater to make sure elderly neighbours Aubrey and Jennifer were safe. They were taken to the safety of the community hall in the village but by the time Stronach got back home, his ground floor was flooded. |
| The trainee surgeon Jenny Robinson was trying to look on the bright side. She and her partner, Shaun Levy, a businessman, had only moved in to their house recently so many of their belongings were still in boxes. So when their English bull terrier, Brian, began barking in the early hours, they could quickly get most of their possession upstairs. Still, their carpets were a sorry, smelly mess by the back door. | The trainee surgeon Jenny Robinson was trying to look on the bright side. She and her partner, Shaun Levy, a businessman, had only moved in to their house recently so many of their belongings were still in boxes. So when their English bull terrier, Brian, began barking in the early hours, they could quickly get most of their possession upstairs. Still, their carpets were a sorry, smelly mess by the back door. |
| "We just grabbed things and started putting them on surfaces or taking them upstairs. There's a mixture of emotions. Some people are shocked, others angry that this has happened again," she said. | "We just grabbed things and started putting them on surfaces or taking them upstairs. There's a mixture of emotions. Some people are shocked, others angry that this has happened again," she said. |
| The Environment Agency expressed disappointment at what had happened at Kempsey and is investigating. | The Environment Agency expressed disappointment at what had happened at Kempsey and is investigating. |
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