Family rescued from floods, trees hit moving cars and thousands affected by power cuts as Storm Darragh sweeps across Shropshire
A family was rescued from their home as a north Shropshire village was turned into a lake during Storm Darragh.
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Shropshire was hit hard as the storm swept through the region as fire and rescue crews were called out to a multitude of incidents as scores of trees came crashing down.
In Mid Wales the whole roof of Pentre Baptist Church in Mochdre, Powys was blown off.
Farmer and meat seller Jonathan Rees told the BBC that the “roof is scattered in piles from one end of the graveyard to the other".
He said people tried to save the organ and pulpit, but it was "too dangerous and the wind was still really strong".
And it is not over yet, the county and mid Wales have a number of flood warnings in place and there is even a yellow wind warning in place until 6pm on Sunday.
Thousands of properties in the county were without power on Sunday morning with teams estimating that it could be 6pm before electricity is restored.
Oswestry fire crews had to use an inflatable to float down a street in Gobowen, where a family had been trapped by the rising waters.
James Lewis, of Oswestry Fire Station said crews assisted a family to evacuate their property in Gobowen after it was succumbed by flood water.
“Oswestry water first responders assisted with the water sled from Shrewsbury helped the family and their pets escape the rising flood water,” he said.
“Please do not travel if you have to and please do not drive through flood water.
"Please stay safe.”
Among a large number of call outs that put huge pressure on the emergency services was one in Wem.
Two people were trapped in a car when a tree fell on it in Quina Brook at about 4pm.
It was made more hazardous by electrical cables being affected.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service said: “Crews used a battery saw and small gear to release casualties.”
The area was made safe until Scottish Power could attend.
Three fire engines including the rescue tender had been scrambled to that incident from Prees, Wellington and Whitchurch with an operations officer.
The crews' stop message was sent at 4.38pm.
One person was medically trapped in a vehicle on the A458 Much Wenlock to Morville road at 7pm on Saturday.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire & Rescue said one vehicle was damaged by a fallen tree and one casualty 'medically trapped'.
“Crews used cutting gear and passer by assisting in clearing debris,” they said.
The casualty was left in the care of ambulance service.
A tree fell on to a moving vehicle at the A442 at Hodnet.
The fire service says no persons were trapped and crews used a reciprocating saw to remove tree away from the vehicle and the road with the assistance of police.
A large tree fell on to a kerosene tank which split and 1,000 litres of fuel spilled onto the roads and into the drains at Rushey Lane, Albrighton, at 11.55pm on Saturday.
A fire service spokesperson said the Environment Agency and the Highways Agency were also called to the scene.
“Crews used environmental grab pack to block drains and absorbent pads to soak up remaining liquid,” said a fire service spokesperson.
In the south of the county fire crews were sent to a report of a metal shed which had been blown onto a gas tanker.
Crews dismantled the shed and placed in a safe area away from the wind at Button Bridge, in Kinlet at 8.50pm.
Later on at the A49 at Lee Brockhurst, near Shrewsbury at 4.50pm a falling tree hit a vehicle and damaged power cables.
Fire crews conducted traffic management and extinguished a car affected by fire using an extinguisher.
Crews left the incident in the care of police for road closure and Scottish Power were notified of power cables and requested to attend as soon as possible.
A large tree collapsed onto a property bringing down power cables in Ludlow Road, Church Stretton at 5.17pm.
Fire crews made the property safe for occupiers to stay in the property using small gear.
An issue of loose power cables had been reported to National Grid.
Trees were down across the region, including blocking the A5.
And in Moss Road, Telford, a tree fell onto a high voltage power cable at about midnight on Saturday which snapped and came to rest on the road.
Crews cordoned off the road until police and National Grid attended to make the area safe.
Fire crews also had to respond to cars being driven into flood waters.
One fire appliance was mobilised from Prees to Shrewsbury Street, Prees, at 9.19pm.
A fire service spokesperson said: “One vehicle which had driven into flood water and water entered car.
“The vehicle and two occupants have been pushed out of the water by water first responder crews.”
The situation was so bad in some parts that a fire crew from Newport was sent into Staffordshire because that county's crew could not get to Woodseaves, in Stafford, due to blocked roads.
