Residents at a Stockport apartment block who have been forced out of their homes and had their cars written off after it was hit by floods say they are ‘gutted.’
Meadow Mill, next to the Tesco store off the Portwood roundabout, was left marooned by water after the River Tame, which runs behind it, burst its bank in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Those living in the flats, which are on the upper floors of the converted 19th century mill, were left trapped as the water engulfed the car park and meant the building could, for a time, only be accessed by boat.
They have described being woken by firefighters banging on the doors, finding their power and water supplies had gone off, and looking out to see their cars floating in the car park below.
More than 400 people were evacuated by the emergency services and forced to spend the night with friends or family, or in hotels. They have not yet been told when they will be able to move back in.
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Many returned this morning to collect belongings, but also to examine their vehicles, almost all of which are likely to have be written off.
Street cleaners cleaned the layers of mud and silt as electricity workers examined a nearby substation and scores of recovery trucks arrived to tow the vehicles away.
The car park at Meadow Mill on New Year’s Day
(Image: submitted)
Mohammed Junaid, 35, who lives on the top floor, said: “We got a message in our WhatsApp group saying water was coming through some of the patio doors. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then I got another message saying it was flooding bad.
“I looked out and it was already pretty high. I came down about 3am to see if I could get my car out. I drove it around the back but once I turned the corner I had the choice of driving into an enormous pool, which I didn’t think I’d get through, or ditching it.
Mohammed Junaid
“So I ditched it. As I walked back I was wading through water and sewage that was waist high. I have gone back upstairs to my wife. We had no electric. The only thing they could provide was a bottle of water, which we appreciated.
“But it wasn’t nice and I just wanted to get out. Anxiety is the word. When we eventually got out it was still about knee high. But the choice was walk through it or stay even longer and we just wanted to go and it wasn’t worth staying.”
Emergency services at the scene on Wednesday, when the building was, for a time, only reachable by boat
(Image: Izzy Cubrilo)
After returning this morning, he said: “It’s carnage. I wouldn’t’ wish it on anyone. When I got back to the hotel and closed my eyes I could see myself floating in that water.
“How I managed to get a couple of hours I don’t know. I don’t even know if I want to come back.” He says has been told his Audi A4 has been written off. “I loved it” he said. “I’d much rather have it back than be paid out.”
Tom Clegg, 28, who lives in the block with his wife and two cats and has a BMW 3 series said: “I woke up at 4am to see my car floating. I looked out and there was police and the fire service everywhere.
Tom Clegg
“I spoke to some of the neighbours and we were waiting to see what happened. If the water had got any higher I’d have been worried about it getting in the flat.
“But it was well above the bonnet of my car and I could se it floating into the car next to it. I was a bit gutted to be honest as I’d just cleaned it and put two new tyres on it. It was my pride and joy really.
“The insurance have told me it will be a write-off. But cars can be replaced, I’m just glad everyone is safe. The fire service were great and even helped us get the cats out safely.”
Tom Clegg’s car was carried into the wall of the building by the flood waters
Lydia Jowles,. 26, who lives with boyfriend Ed Kowalewski, and who has a Mercedes said: “We had gone away for New Year’s Eve to Whitby.
I got a notification on my app saying my car alarm was going off. I thought it was someone trying it on and trying to nick it. So I sent my dad round to check on it for me and when he got here there was just fire engines everywhere and they’d closed the road.
“The water must have picked it up and moved it as its right against the wall now. I can’t even get into it to get my stuff out of it. And we are not allowed to stay in the flat.
Lydia Jowles
They are saying it’ll be two days but I think it could be longer, its a mess inside, its a massive clean-up job. Luckily my family are in Bury so we can stay with them for a bit. Cars are cars at the end of the day but its a huge headache and pretty upsetting for lots of people.”
Hannah Miles said: ” I was out for new year but luckily I hadn’t had a drink so I was able to drive back when I heard it was bad. But by the time we got here, at about 3am, it was all cordoned off and you couldn’t get anywhere.
The car park pictured from above today
(Image: Instagram: @aztechdrones)
So we just sat on the Tesco car park watching it all happen. It was horrible. Obviously my car was alright because I was in it but my boyfriend’s was on the car park and has gone.”
Sean Lightbown, 37, who lives on the first floor, said: “I was out in town and got back about 11pm, and went to bed just after midnight. I wasn’t thinking bout anything. The next thing, about 7am, someone knocked on my door and it was a fireman who said the whole place was flooded and he had to swim to get to us.
“He said everyone was safe and to sit tight and they would sort us out. I looked out and realised no one was getting out any time soon. It was crazy.
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
The power was off and my phone battery went pretty quick so I was just reading books and pottering around. There was nothing I could do.
“Eventually they came back and said we were free to go and to go down the central staircase. At the bottom the water was still knee high. It was all very orderly. I’m just lucky I don’t have a car.”
Another woman, who did not want to be named said: “We are trying to stay positive. But both our cars have gone. And we rely on them.
Sean Lightbown
“I just worry whether the insurance will pay-out or whether they’ll try to say it was an ‘act of god.’ I just hope they do the decent thing.
“These flats say they are ‘luxury apartments’ but we are just normal people with normal jobs who have worked hard to live here and to afford these cars and its going to massively affect us.”