Shocking before and after photos reveal how Storm Babet drowned village in floodwater

A photographer has captured drone shots showing a Yorkshire village before and after this weekend's floods caused by Storm Babet [1]. Catcliffe in Rotherham was left underwater after torrential rains [2] forcing residents to evacuate as levels in the River Rother reached record highs. Water engulfed a number of homes and around 250 properties had to be abandoned on Friday, with villagers left to find emergency accommodation.

There are fears some people may be unable to go home for months, depending on how long repairs take. Insurance assessors have reportedly been in the area for several days with the 6ft waters continuing to recede, leaving a bog behind. Alex Roebuck captured incredible shots showing off the flooding, having taken the original photo some time prior, with the intention of doing a comparison the next time there was a storm.

He told the Mirror: "I took that first one two years ago anticipating next time the village flooded.

Alex Roebuck took this drone shot of Catcliffe two years ago (Alex Roebuck)

Alex returned to the same spot over the weekend to capture the flooding (Alex Roebuck)

"I live about five minutes away from Catcliffe, but we're on higher ground so there was no flooding for us. Over the weekend I moved up to a safe place and sent up the drone. Once it was up there things really opened up.

I think the waters have gone down now and they're cleaning up. It's a sludge pit. The local community are rallying round getting those affected food and clothing." The 26-year-old, who works in marketing, took up using the drone as a hobby around three years ago.

Pictures taken from the scene today show workers from Rotherham Council helping residents clear out their properties now the water is going. The storm has claimed at least seven lives across the UK, including three in Scotland [3]. Wendy Taylor, 57, died after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, on Thursday.

Residents were forced to evacuate the village (PA)

John Gillan, 56, also died on Thursday after a tree struck his van as he was driving on the B9127 at Whigstreet near Forfar.And on Monday a body was recovered by police searching for a man who was trapped in a vehicle in floodwater.

A search was launched after the man was reported missing in Marykirk, Aberdeenshire, on Friday. Two women died after a five-vehicle crash on the M4 on Friday which is believed to have been weather [4]-related. Four cars and an HGV were involved in the crash on the eastbound carriageway between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath.

A fresh deluge of rain has hit further parts of the UK today as a yellow weather warning remains in force until 4pm.

Waters rose to 6ft, leaving some homes underwater (Getty Images)

The Met Office [5] said there is a "small chance" that homes and businesses could be flooded, that fast-flowing or deep floodwater could cause a danger to life and that some communities will be cut off by flooded roads. The warning covers a vast swathe of England already hit by flooding and could lead to further floods in the East Midlands, including Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, as well as much of Yorkshire, including Sheffield, Leeds and York, and Humberside. Rachel Ayers, Met Office meteorologist, said a few places, most likely Lincolnshire and Humberside, could see 30-50mm of rain while southern England and Wales could experience 10-20mm.

She said there will be "some respite" across Scotland on Tuesday after its battering by the storm. "The weather we are seeing on Tuesday is no longer associated with Storm Babet," Ms Ayers said.

Council workers have been out since the waters receded to help with the clean up (PA)

"We will see some heavy rain in areas affected by flooding during Storm Babet though the worst impacted areas in Scotland will remain mostly dry on Tuesday." She continued: "Within the warning area we could see some travel disruption due to spray and flooding on roads. "There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, or that some communities could be cut off due to flooded roads." Reports of floods to the Environment Agency (EA) reached the highest level since 2015/16 at the peak of the storm, environment minister Rebecca Pow told the Commons on Monday. The EA issued more than 300 flood warnings and received more than 1,800 calls to its flood line, she said. Hundreds of people have been left homeless in the wake of Storm Babet, with about 1,250 properties in England flooded, according to the EA.

Ms Pow said investigations are expected.

A total of 13 areas broke their daily rainfall records for October last week, including sites in Suffolk, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Kincardineshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Derbyshire and Humberside, the Met Office said.

References

^ this weekend's floods caused by Storm Babet (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ torrential rains (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ Scotland (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ Met Office (www.mirror.co.uk)