Dad describes 'terrifying' moment a landslide swept through home with family inside

  • Video report by Joanne Gallacher

A father has described the "terrifying" moment a landslide caused by Storm Bert swept through his home with his family inside.

Endaf Owens, four other adults and six young children had to be rescued when a torrent of water and debris washed through their farm, causing severe damage.

It's thought it could be 18 months before they can return to the land they have farmed in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Wrexham county, for more than 40 years.

Endaf said the experience was "terrifying" and the family had been "very lucky" to escape.

Endaf Owens speaks to reporter Joanne Gallacher at his farm. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

His wife and his sister had just brought the children back into the house on Saturday, 23 November, when the landslide came through the kitchen. One of his children narrowly avoided getting seriously hurt.

"She's got a few scratches on her face, but she's okay," Endaf said.

Endaf had been away from the rest of his family at the time tending to the sheep on higher ground.

"I came down from the top road and saw this - it was terrifying, really," he said.

He added that it will be between 12-18 months before the family can return to their home after the devastation caused.

Friends have arranged for the family to stay in a nearby bed and breakfast in the meantime, while the local community has rallied around the family, with neighbours helping to evacuate them on the day.

Endaf's children had come into the house minutes before the landslide. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales
The damage caused to the family's kitchen following the landslide. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Mike Crawshaw, one of those neighbours, said there was "utter devastation" when he arrived at the farm after seeing sets of lights and noticing he had a missed call from his neighbours.

"The water [...] was several feet deep," he told ITV Cymru Wales. "When you saw the devastation, you just hope that everyone's safe. It was horrendous."

Mike and another neighbour took the family in tractors down to a nearby pub to stay warm.

"The community are unbelievable," Endaf said. "I can't thank them enough. It's quite overwhelming, to be honest."

Neighbour Mike Crawshaw helped to evacuate the family. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Councillor Trevor Bates praised the efforts of the local community in assisting the family.

"It's emotional - the people have been so fantastic," he said.

Storm Bert brought torrential rain at the weekend, with a total of 433 properties were impacted across Wales, as well as infrastructure, after the substantial wind and rain brought by Storm Bert.

The Met Office has said a full assessment of the forecast and warning strategy will take place over the coming days, as with any named storm.

Natural Resources Wales is also set to review the warnings issued to residents in Wales about the severity of Storm Bert.