Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been battered by a very strong storm. It stranded over 50,000 residences without access to water and power. Storm Goretti hit earlier this week with gusts up to almost 100 mph. This exceptionally intense storm triggered a rare red warning for “life-threatening, violent” winds. As the region continues to deal with the aftermath, leaders in Harlan County have called for a “national emergency”.
In addition to loss of life, the storm’s impact has been felt worst on vulnerable communities in the south-west. During the debate Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, explained just how bad the crisis is. He urged that unaccompanied migration had reached crisis proportions. He told an all too real tale of how a nursing home evacuation went terribly wrong. When the storm passed overhead, the house lost its roof, leaving the family in darkness and with no access to clean water.
As of Monday afternoon, about 1,250 properties were still without power, the bulk of them near Helston. National Grid reported ongoing repair efforts, while South West Water (SWW) confirmed that about 3,000 homes were still experiencing water outages. Just recently, SWW has described the damage to its water network as “devastating.” Six major water mains in the Helston area were extensively damaged after having their paths blocked by trees ripped out of the ground.
“If this happened in London or the home counties it would have been headline national news for days and the government would declare a national emergency.” – Andrew George
As a result, Cornwall Council said 31 schools in the area either closed or opened late on Friday. This was entirely the storm’s fault. Dotting the countryside, repair works are literally in full swing. As COVID settled in, SWW just reported that they’ve restored water to more than 70% of the affected customers. Many residents are still facing significant challenges in accessing basic services.
No one can deny that local businesses have been impacted by the storm. Janine Williams, the landlord of the Blue Anchor Inn in Helston, noted that they’d been fortunate with their mains electric and bore water. They continue to struggle with chronic problems.
“Last night, our mains water got cut off again after being put back on,” said Janine Williams.
She described the challenge as “a little bit of a mess.” As word spread, countless people congregated at her pub, looking to get their phones charged and stay warm.
The storm was devastating, leading to tragic loss of life. Local media reports indicate that a man in his 50s died when a tree crushed his caravan. This incident further highlights the incredibly dangerous experience of this storm, as well as the overall need of restoration efforts across the impacted region.
Dame Mary Creagh MP expressed her concerns about increasingly frequent occurrences of water supplies running dry. These issues are really affecting many locations, particularly in the south-east and south-west of England, particularly after Storm Goretti and the recent freeze.
“I remain very concerned that people in several areas in the south-east and south-west are experiencing water supply issues following both cold weather and Storm Goretti.” – Mary Creagh MP
Just as the storm in Cornwall fell 30-40 trees, so this storm would take down many trees. Virtually all of these trees crashed straight onto the water mains feeding from the Wendron water treatment works. With overwhelming destruction comes the immediate and urgent need of an entire community focused on fiscal restoration, as government leaders have shown by their nonstop efforts on site.