People rescued from flooding as Storm Bram hits

10 December 2025

Zhara Simpson,South Westand

Jonathan Morris,South West

News image — Large waves crashed over the promenade in Penzance

Penzance Council A large wave coming over the barrier in Penzance onto the promenade. — Large waves crashed over the promenade in Penzance

More than four people have been rescued from their stranded vehicles as floods caused by Storm Bram hit road and rail travel across Devon and Cornwall.

Fire services said two people were helped from the roof of their car in Teigngrace, Devon, two people were rescued near Whitford, Devon and there were "several" more rescues from vehicles in Cornwall. The road through Weare Giffard in north Devon has been closed due to flooding.

Train services towards Plymouth were affected by flooding in a tunnel between Totnes and Ivybridge, which was later cleared.

BBC South West's senior broadcast meteorologist David Braine said Dartmoor had seen more than 100mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.

Richard Brassett Vehicles in Lostwithiel parked in flooded water. There are cars and vans parked along the side. — A resident said many cars were underwater in Lostwithiel, Cornwall

Houses in Warland Road, Totnes, were flooded as the River Dart, which carries water from Dartmoor, was swollen by rainwater.

Resident Karen said: "It was like a river, we have got a step but it still came in because it came so high."

Helen Swan said nearby Shute Road was "full of water, so you'd think twice about driving through it", although it had now subsided.

She understands that the flooding was caused by blocked drains.

Ali Soper Flood water in the Warland area of Totnes. There are parked vehicles submerged in the water and houses to the right. — Flooding in the Warlands area of Totnes, Devon

Braine said: "Dartmoor so far in December has received 267mm of rain."

The forecaster said Plymouth had also received its normal monthly rainfall for December - 125mm - in the first eight days of this month.

The Environment Agency said between 10:00 GMT on Monday and 10:00 Tuesday, there had been 106mm of rainfall at White Barrow, 87mm in Princetown, 82mm in Dartmoor, 72mm in Bovey Tracey, 56mm in Tavistock and 51mm in Liskeard.

This picture shows powerful waves crashing against a coastal sea wall during rough weather. The water is surging high, creating large splashes and spray that dominate the foreground. Behind the sea wall, there are buildings very close to the shoreline—one with a red roof and another larger house. — Waves lash the seafront at North Sands in Salcombe

Part of the West Hoe Pier in Plymouth collapsed as huge waves battered the waterfront.

The arm of the eastern pier had been undergoing strengthening work when "ferocious weather and sea conditions caused the outer wall to cave in", said the city council.

Contractors would investigate the full extent of the damage on Wednesday said the council and come up with a plan to "instigate urgent repairs as soon as possible".

This picture shows a damaged harbour wall. A large section of the stone wall has collapsed, exposing rubble and debris inside. Water from the sea is flowing through the broken area, indicating structural failure likely caused by strong waves, erosion, or storm damage. There are metal safety barriers and fencing around the damaged section. In the background, there are parked cars and buildings. The water in the foreground looks rough. — The outer wall of West Hoe Pier collapsed in the storm

Richard Brasset, 60, who lives by the River Fowey in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, said he was "tremendously worried" and a lot of cars were "completely flooded" and "underwater".

He said: "High tide was roughly 08:30 this morning and it's 11:30 and it hasn't gone down at all.

"The wind is preventing the water going out and obviously we're going to have another tide this evening coming in.

"I'm fully expecting it to be flooded by this evening which is a tremendous worry."

He said his home had flooded four times since 2009.

Wind and rain batters parts of UK as Storm Bram brings 'danger to life' warnings

'Danger to life' warning issued for Storm Bram

Storm Bram: Amber warning in place as wind and rain hit UK

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said by 10:00 crews had attended nine incidents involving the public getting stuck in floodwater or "arching power lines".

The service added: "Every year people lose their lives when their vehicles enter the water, some of those occur during periods of flooding when water encroaches on to normally well drained carriageways or when normally benign river crossings (fords) become raging torrents.

"We would advise people to consider whether their journey is essential due to the amount of standing water and debris on some roads."

Devon and Cornwall Police's road policing team said: "Give extra time and space. It's horrid out, with poor visibility from spray and surface water."

Penzance Council also advised people to take care when driving as there was a lot of surface water and debris on the roads.

Sarah H/BBC Weather Watchers This picture shows a large wave crashing over a sea wall or promenade, sending a huge spray of water into the air. In the foreground, there is a black bench positioned on the walkway, which appears to be very close to the impact zone of the wave. The water looks turbulent and muddy. — Waves break over the seafront at Sidmouth in Devon

BBC South West broadcast meteorologist Bee Tucker said heavy rain and strong winds had battered the region on Monday evening through to Tuesday.

She said: "Gusts of 50-60mph are likely throughout the day, with the south coast of Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly bearing the brunt of the winds."

On Monday, a danger to life warning was issued by the Met Office as the named Storm was due to cause disruption across the UK but all weather warnings for Devon and Cornwall have now ceased.

Lesley/BBC Weather Watchers This picture shows a grassy field with large puddles of water, indicating flooding or heavy rainfall. In the foreground, two dogs are playing or splashing in one of the waterlogged areas. Further back, there is another dog standing on the grass. The background features leafless trees and rolling hills. The sky appears overcast. — The wet weather was enjoyed by some in Launceston

Great Western Railway said due to flooding between Par and Newquay, the line was closed and train services running to and from these stations were cancelled.

It said urged passengers to check services before travelling adding: "Disruption is expected until the end of the day."

Devon County Council urged everyone to "please take care, expect fallen trees, debris and flooding, especially near rivers and the coast" in the "difficult travel conditions".

A wave crashes into a wall next to an Antony Gormley statue in Plymouth — Waves crashing into a wall next to an Antony Gormley statue in Plymouth

Jen Murphy, from the council's highways control team, urged people to not drive through the floodwater: "A lot of it's fast flowing so there's no way of knowing how deep it is or what sort of debris might be in it.

"We urge people to take care in places like that where roads are close to rivers and think about their routes and plan their routes."

She advised people to call the emergency services if there was an immediate danger to life and to contact the council about road obstructions.