Express & Star

People evacuated from mobile homes on village park after Storm Dennis chaos

Mobile homes flooded, treasured family belongings ruined and cars abandoned

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Off Woodford Lane, Trysull Woodford Riding stables has been closed due to the flooding

This was the trail of destruction leaving villagers counting the costs after Storm Dennis.

Residents were awoken in the middle of the night as flood water flashed through a mobile home park.

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They were forced to evacuate their homes on Hinksford Mobile Home Park, in Hinksford, near Wall Heath, on the weekend.

Up to 45 homes on the site, between Smestow Brook and the adjacent River Stour, were hit by flood waters.

Hinksford Mobile Home Park, is based between Smestow Brook and the River Stour. Image: Google

Many of those who were evacuated have returned to begin the clean-up.

Sarah Buckley's 71-year-old mother Jennifer lives at Hinksford Park and said the family were called out by the Environment Agency in the middle of the night.

"I had a phone call from the Environment Agency at 3am yesterday morning telling me that she needed to evacuate," said Sarah, aged 47 from Wombourne.

Flooding in Crockington Lane, Seisdon

"Mobile homes flooded, cars stuck in. Never in 40 years of my mother living there has it ever flooded like that before.

"Thankfully, mum and dog are safe now with us but treasured possessions of my late father have been lost forever."

Her father Bill Buckley worked at the West Bromwich offices of the Express & Star in the printing department until he retired in the early 1990s.

Sarah added: "The flood is bad enough but it's the mess it leaves behind and the damage that it caused to a lifetime of memories that's the hardest."

Some areas are still coping with the aftermath of the storm with roads still remaining impassible today.

Flooding in gardens of houses in Ebstree Road, Seisdon

Trysull Woodford Riding stables, off Woodford Lane, has been closed due to the flooding.

Craig Halford, aged 58 from Codsall, had to abandon his car overnight in Crockington Lane, Seisdon, after it got stuck in flood water yesterday.

He said: “I was trying to get through the village and already had to turn around three times and try different routes because the roads were flooded.

“I came down Crockington Lane and watched another car go through the flood in front of me so I thought it would be ok.

Craig Halford's car had to abandon his car over night as it was stuck in flood water
Craig Halford's car had to abandon his car over night as it was stuck in flood water

"I drove through more than 50 foot of the water and then my car conked out on me.

“I rang the insurers and they said the recovery crew couldn’t come and get it because it was in more than three inches of water.

"I'm just really frustrated for other people, it's been terrible."

Nearby Seisdon Hall has taken extra precautions by lining their driveway with sand bags to prevent the flood water coming into the grounds.

Seisdon Hall has taken extra precautions using sand bags to stop water coming into the grounds
Seisdon Hall has taken extra precautions using sand bags to stop water coming into the grounds

In nearby Swindon, homeowners have had to be evacuated because of the storm.

This morning commuters tried to navigate their way around the floods, with a number of cars having to turn around and find alternative routes out of rural villages.

Jo Banner, aged 52 who lives in Ebstree Road in Seisdon, was also affected by the floods.

She said: "My daughter and I left the house yesterday to drive to Birmingham as all the trains were cancelled. All routes out of Seisdon were blocked we had to turn round and return home."

Another resident from Seisdon said: "I've lived here 46 years and I've never seen anything as bad as this before."