HOMES have been evacuated and a village restaurant ruined after Storm Christoph battered Acton Bridge.
The A49 Warrington Road has been closed for much of today, January 21, with the area hit by severe flooding.
Kelly Martin, who runs the Riverside Inn, says today’s flooding is far worse than autumn 2019 – and worse than any flooding she has seen.
She told the Guardian: “Apparently it hasn’t been as bad as this since 1940.
“The row of 11 or 12 houses alongside us have all been evacuated in boats, as well as our head chef, who lives upstairs. The water is up to your waist.
“This is absolutely far worse than 2019. The restaurant is ruined – there are chairs and empty barrels just bobbling around. It is the worst I have ever seen.”
For Kelly, Christoph’s devastation comes at the back of a year which has seen the hospitality trade hurt badly by coronavirus.
The Riverside underwent refurbishment just last year and much of the restaurant will again need replacing, but Kelly is hopeful it will bounce back.
“It is a good job that the restaurant is shut anyway rather than us having to close it due to the floods,” she added.
“But it’s going to cost a fortune. Everything has been contaminated with water now – the whole restaurant is going to need replacing.
“I’m just hoping that everyone will be eager for a meal with us when Boris [Johnson] lifts the restrictions.”
The Environment Agency issued a red flood warning for the River Weaver at Acton Bridge earlier this week, due to high river levels at Pickerings Cut and heavy rain forecast.
For the latest information from Storm Christoph click here.
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