HIGHWAYS crews from Somerset Council have been working round the clock to clear roads following the devastation caused by Storm Darragh over the weekend.
Swathes of the county were faced with amber and yellow warnings from the Met Office due to the high winds, while parts of North and East Somerset were also faced with a rare Met Office red warning—the highest level of alert, which meant there was a possible danger to life.
Teams from Somerset Council’s contractor, Kier, were out in force over the weekend as they battled 90mph winds as they worked to clear roads that were hit with fallen trees and other obstructions.
Chapel Leigh Road Lydeard St Lawrence Picture: Somerset Council
More than 700 reported incidents were dealt with on the road and more than 400 fallen trees during and after Storm Darragh, which hit just two weeks after Storm Bert .
READ MORE: Storm Darragh: Red weather warning in place for parts of Somerset
Wind speeds were reported to reach up to 89mph in Exmoor and 72 mph in Yeovil.
Throughout Saturday, December 7 to Monday, December 9 six chainsaw gangs were busy removing hundreds of trees that had been blown across roads, including the A367 near Stratton-on-the-Fosse where a team worked for several hours on Saturday to reopen the road.
Power cables also fell across many roads – by Saturday afternoon more than 13,000 households in Somerset were without power.
Over in Bridgwater, part of the roof on a block of flats at Westfield Close was damaged, causing debris to block Albert Street. A team from Homes in Sedgemoor, which manages the building, has been supporting residents.
Winds reached up to 90mph on sea fronts Picture: Somerset Council
Somerset Council’s Adult Social Care team has been liaising with power companies to identify vulnerable residents and ensure power is returned as soon as possible.
Other key roads affected by fallen trees:
• A378 Fivehead, Taunton
• Station Road, Shapwick (four trees)
• A37 Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet (tree/power lines)
• A357 Templecombe (all closed or partially closed at time of issuing)
• B3223 Exford to Simonsbath road (open).
In Chard, Boden Street had to be closed because of damage to the Mill, a Somerset Council-owned building.
Meanwhile, people in coastal areas were warned to stay away from the seafront as large waves battered the shoreline and sand was blown in great drifts onto Warren Road in Minehead
Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and waste, councillor Richard Wilkins, said: “We’re incredibly grateful for the efforts of our contractor Kier in working round the clock to keep the county moving – these were really challenging conditions, a Red Weather warning is the most extreme alert.
“We know council and partner agency teams have been working hard to support our more vulnerable residents who have been without power or who have suffered damage to their homes.
Fallen tree on the Bridgetown to Dulverton A396 road Picture: Somerset Council
“Thankfully, many appear to have heeded the warnings and stayed at home during the height of the storm and we also saw communities coming together to help the most vulnerable and affected.
“There may well be smaller roads across the county which are which are still blocked by fallen trees – please travel carefully, especially after dark and bear with us, the service is working extremely hard to get these cleared.”
Problems on the road can quickly be reported to the council by visiting their website.
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