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Flood-hit communities brace for more rain

Matt Treacy and Stuart RustSouth of England
News imageBBC John Frosdick, who has white hair and a neat beard, can be seen wearing a grey hooded jacked over a black polo shirt as he stands outside his home. BBC
John Frosdick says he has had sleepless nights worrying about the prospect of more flooding

Homeowners and businesses hit by flooding in the wake of Storm Chandra are bracing themselves for more severe weather.

The Woolpack pub in Sopley in the New Forset, Hampshire, was forced to close after suffering significant damage when it was flooded last week.

Meanwhile, John Frosdick, from Pimperne, near Blandford Forum in Dorset, had flood water rise up through his floorboards overnight.

There are now fears that forecast heavy rain could add to the existing problems, with the Met Office warning of further "flooding and disruption".

News imageThe Woolpack pub, which has white walls and a red tiled roof, can be seen surrounded by floodwaters.
The team at The Woolpack in Sopley were unable to prevent flooding in the building

Barbara Smith, who owns The Woolpack, said it may be some time before they can reopen.

"We've now managed to mop everything up but the condensation is still everywhere and we've had to take all the furniture out to try and get that sorted," she said.

"The trouble is, the water mixed with the drain water so it was contaminated, so unfortunately we've got a big clean up ahead of us to get open."

Smith said people in the area had been incredibly supportive.

She continued: "We're hoping it's not going to be as bad as it was last week. We're just going to keep an eye on the weather and see how we go."

News imageFloodwater can be seen pooling behind the bar in the The Woolpack.
Owner of The Woolpack Barbara Smith said the clean-up could take months

Properties in Pimperne were hit by flooding overnight last Tuesday.

Frosdick said: "At three o'clock in the morning I got up to get a drink. I looked out of the window and could see that the road on the other side was starting to flood and I didn't think anything more of it.

"Then I came down again at five to get ready for work. I got to the bottom of the stairs and the floor was underwater."

He said he was also concerned about the chance of more damage.

News imageFloodwater at around ankle-level can be seen reaching the black front door of John Frosdick's home. Behind the house, on the road, a lorry can be seen making its way through the floodwaters.
Frosdick used sandbags to protect his home but flood water rose up through his floorboards

He continued: "I didn't sleep much through the night knowing that it was going to rain. I kept getting up and looking out the window to see if it had flooded or not.

"Nothing has happened yet, but it won't take much for that river to burst again."

The Met Office said outbreaks of rain across the South West may become persistent on Monday, before gradually easing and clearing into Tuesday.

There are 50 flood warnings in place for Dorset and 35 for Hampshire.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said the extra rainfall could have the potential to lead to some flooding and disruption.

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