Storm Babet leaves seven dead and hundreds homeless amid warning flooding could continue
ITV News Correspondent Ellie Pitt reports on the damage caused by Storm Babet
Storm Babet has left at least seven people dead and hundreds more homeless as the Environment Agency (EA) warned there could be more flooding this week.
A man who died after a tree struck his van near Forfar in Angus has been named by police as 56-year-old John Gillan.
Mr Gillan's family released a statement paying tribute to the "loving" husband, father and grandfather.
It read: "We are devastated by the loss of John and the circumstances in which he died.
“Thank you to family and friends for supporting us through this indescribably difficult time.
“We’d like to request that our privacy be respected whilst we grieve for John.”
Police have also found the body of a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater near Marykirk, Aberdeenshire - formal identification is yet to take place but their next of kin have been informed.
Around 1,250 properties in England have been flooded while an estimated 30,000 properties have needed protection against rising water levels, the EA said.
The agency said more flood warnings are expected for some of the worst affected areas this week although severe flood warnings, meaning risk of death or serious injury, have been lifted.
Sweep-up after the storm is ongoing after days of relentless rain.
Severe flood warnings in place on the River Derwent in Derby and on the River Idle in the East Midlands were lifted on Sunday.
The EA said: “River flooding will continue into Wednesday along the River Severn.
“Further flooding is possible from rivers and surface water on Tuesday and Wednesday for parts of England due to further heavy rain.”
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey visited flood-hit Retford in Nottinghamshire were voiced their frustrations asking her “why stuff hasn’t happened” since the last major floods in 2007.
Ms Coffee said it may take “several months” for some people to move back into their homes after flooding caused by Storm Babet.
'It's not a home anymore. We want you to deal with it': Flood-hit Retford residents tell Therese Coffey 'we don't want to be here anymore' accusing the government of leaving them without sufficient flood protection
Asked if she thinks the flood defences are sufficient, she said: “Well, I’m not a floods engineer, so I have to go on what the Environment Agency is determining in different parts of the country, but that’s part of the reason for the conversations with the chief executive who’s elsewhere in Nottinghamshire today.
“One of the things that the government has done was established something called Flood Re, it’s an insurance scheme that makes sure everybody in this country can get their homes, their houses protected, regardless of what flooding has happened there.
"So that’s been a significant change that only came in about eight years ago. We will continue to make sure that’s the case, that people can insure their homes in the future.”
The latest warning comes after 83-year-old Maureen Gilbert was found dead in her flooded home in Tapton Terrace, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, on Saturday morning.
Her son Paul Gilbert, who attempted to secure his mother’s home with flood defences, told Sky News he found her “floating in the water” on Saturday.
“I thought I had done enough with the flood defences, that are nearly four foot high, that she would be all right,” he said.
“I did not want to find my own mum and I expected somebody else to have found her.
“I go through so many different stages, anger, upset, I don’t know. I can’t put it into words what it means at the moment.”
Mrs Gilbert’s neighbours said 5ft of water had engulfed the inside of their properties “within minutes” of the River Rother bursting its banks.
A woman who died after being swept into the Water of Lee, Glen Esk, on Thursday has been named as Wendy Taylor, 57.
Mrs Taylor, who was described as “the beloved wife, best friend and soulmate in life to George, mother to James, Sally and Susanna and Granny to India and George”, was said to be “a ray of sunshine for everyone who was fortunate enough to know her” in a tribute issued through Police Scotland.
“We are absolutely heartbroken to lose Wendy in such tragic circumstances and are still struggling to come to terms with it. Wendy was a beautiful, kind, funny and caring person,” the statement said.
First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf has visited Brechin, Angus, to see where the River South Esk burst its banks and flooded dozens of homes last week.
Mr Yousaf told residents that it will be a "long road to recovery" from the severe flooding that has hit the town.
Meeting with those affected by the flood, he said "we'll support you as much as possible", while also thanking emergency service workers who had helped throughout the storm.
Angus and Aberdeenshire were badly hit by the storm.
Derby City Council said record-breaking water levels had been seen in the River Derwent and warned that cleaning up after the floods could take several days.
Met Office spokesman Dave Britton said those worst affected by the flooding caused by Storm Babet could see “a couple of quieter days”.
Mr Britton has said more settled weather on Monday could allow some respite and a chance for recovery.
He added: “There is this pulse of rain moving its way north overnight later on Monday and into Tuesday, but the rest of the week does look like it remains rather unsettled with spells of rain at times.”
A 56-year-old driver died when a tree fell on his van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday while a man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing floodwater in the town of Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, on Friday.
A search was also under way in Aberdeenshire after a report of a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater.
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