These photos and video show how floodwater from overnight torrential rain amid storm Chandra brought much of East Devon and Exeter to a standstill.
When commuters woke on Tuesday morning (January 27), many found their towns and villages cut off after deep floodwater made main routes and back roads impassable.
Rescuers helped pluck a man and his dog to safety after they were trapped upstairs in their Newton Poppleford home, cut-off by floodwater.
And mountain rescuers helped an 85-year-old woman in Otterton suffering a suspected heart attack when floodwater prevented an ambulance from reaching the village.
Motorists struggled through a deluge of floodwater on the road from Clyst St George to Topsham, near Exeter.
In Axminster, the town’s firefighters rescued motorists trapped in cars stuck in floodwater in Trafalgar Way.
And the emergency services were called after the A30 dual carriageway towards Ottery St Mary was flooded.
The emergency services on the A30 dual carriageway.
Photo: Louise Melhuish.
A car stuck in deep floodwater on the A30 dual carriageway.
Photo: Louise Melhuish.
Flooding at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
An aerial shot of flooding at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
Widespread flooding at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
Flooding at Otterton. Photo: David Eveson-Brown.
Axminster firefighters rescued stranded motorists from floodwater at Weycroft. Photo: Axminster fire station.
Deep floodwater caught motorists out at Weycroft, Axminster. Photo: Axminster fire station.
An Ottery St Mary police spokesperson said: “The Ottery St Mary flood defences held against the highest flood water ever recorded all be it we were preparing for multiple residential evacuations.
“At Newton Poppleford, I had the North Dartmoor Mountain Rescue flood team check a home only find the occupier and his dog stranded upstairs. Both the wet gent and his wet dog were safely rescued from the flood water and homed by a nearby kind local resident. “
The spokesperson added: “Otterton has suffered a bit today with all the roads in and out cut off due to flooding and compromised banks.”
Flooding at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
The River Otter flooded the village at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
Vehicles driving through floodwater from Clyst St George to Topsham. Photo: submitted.
Axminster fire crew rescued people from two vehicles in floodwater in Trafalgar Way. Photo: Axminster fire station.
Axminster firefighters rescued motorists stranded in vehicles in Weycroft. Photo: Axminster fire station.
This aerial shot captures the wide-spread flooding at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
They said North Dartmoor Mountain Rescue and responders with a 4×4 vehicle transported medical kit to the village when floodwater prevented an ambulance reaching a pensioner suffering a suspected heart attack.
The police spokesperson said: “The lady was eventually extracted and taken to hospital. “Amazing team effort here from the local community in getting the mountain rescue team over the farm tracks, getting the community defib for me, managing the road closures for the flooding, – all just brilliant.”
Tipton St John Primary School was cut off by floodwater. Photo: Toby Bishop.
Flooding on the road between Sidford and Sidbury. Photo: Kimmy Thomson.
Vehicles were submerged in floodwater at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
Scores of schools closed for the day, the emergency services and the authority urged people to stay at home and avoid the roads, and the fire service was kept busy throughout the day, rescuing people cut-off by floods, or trapped in water-logged vehicles.
Properties were flooded at Tipton St John. Photo: Toby Bishop.
The River Otter after a night of torrential rain. Photo: Ottery St Mary Police.
Rescuers teamed up with the emergency services in Otterton and Newton Poppleford. Photo: Ottery St Mary Police.
A mountain rescue team helped with rescue a man trapped by floodwater in Newton Poppleford, and again in Otterton amid a medical emergency. Photo: Ottery St Mary Police.
Across East Devon and Exeter, rivers spilled over onto roads and fields, prompting the Environment Agency to issue scores of flood warnings and alerts.
By Tuesday afternoon, some of the worst-hit areas remained on high alert, and river levels were expected to remain high.
The Environment Agency said properties and low-lying land and roads close to the rivers Otter, Sid and Axe remained at risk into Tuesday night, adding the main areas of concern were Lympstone, Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Sidbury, Sidford and Sidmouth, plus Seaton, Colyton, Axminster and Axmouth.
The metre-high river level at Tipton St John was recorded at almost three metres on Tuesday morning and classrooms at the village primary school were underwater.
Floodwater closed both ends of Honiton, the A376 Exmouth Road at Lympstone was impassable and the road from Clyst St George to Clyst St Mary was partially closed.
The route from Clyst St George into Topsham was underwater, Beacon Lane and Steatham Drive, both in Exeter, were flooded and impassable.
Floodwater also hit Mill Street, in Ottery St Mary, and the Sidmouth Road between Ottery and The Bowd.
The Met Office-named Storm Chandra sparked an Amber weather warning for rain for southern half of Devon from 5pm on Monday (January 26) until the following morning.
Around 20-50mm of rainfall was expected, with up to 80mm falling on high ground, on land and fields already saturated by Storm Ingrid at the weekend.
Councillor Dan Thomas, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways, said: “There’s seemingly no let up from storms this winter. Straight off the back of Storm Ingrid, the arrival of yet more rain and wind is the last thing anyone needs. The continuing extreme weather is causing damage and disruption and there’s no doubt it’s impacting our road network.
“Emergency services are also working hard during these weather events and, unfortunately, there have been issues with people ignoring road closures. Where a road is closed, it’s for safety reasons. We would urge everyone to please be cautious.
“Do not attempt to drive through floodwater or try to access closed roads, particularly in coastal areas. Not only could you be putting your own safety at risk, but you could also be putting others at risk.”
The Met Office says more heavy rain is on the way for the district’s already saturated ground from Thursday (January 29).
