Storm Darragh Causes Chaos Across the UK Leaving Two Dead and Devastating Damage

A major cleanup operation is underway across the UK as communities assess the damage caused by Storm Darragh, which resulted in the tragic deaths of two people over the weekend, reported by BBC.

The severe weather, which brought heavy winds and rain, caused widespread disruption starting on Friday and continued until Sunday evening, when the last of the warnings for wind and rain were lifted. The storm wreaked havoc on roads and rail networks, causing severe flooding and chaos.

On Saturday morning, a man in his 40s was killed when a tree fell onto his van on the A59 near Longton, Preston. Later that day, another man died when a tree fell on his car in Erdington, Birmingham. Additionally, at 3am, a bus driver was taken to the hospital after his Translink airport express bus veered off the road and crashed into a wall near Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The storm brought gusts of nearly 100mph in some areas, leaving over a quarter of a million people without power across the west of England and Wales. By Sunday evening, 94% of those affected had their power restored, leaving about 118,000 without electricity, according to Daily Mail.

The UK’s rail services were heavily affected, with many cancellations and delays. Southeastern and Thameslink were particularly disrupted, and all lines between Wolverhampton and Stafford were closed due to a tree blocking the track.

In Wales, the historic Llandudno Pier faced severe damage, with the owner describing the storm as “biblical.” Adam Williams, owner of the pier, said, “If it survives, it will be a miracle.” Despite the damage, the pier remained standing, though pieces of the 150-year-old structure were found a mile away. A fundraiser for repairs had raised nearly £7,000 by Sunday afternoon.

The storm also disrupted sporting events, with the Premier League derby between Everton and Liverpool called off, along with cancelled ferries and flights. Weather warnings for wind and rain remained in place on Sunday across various regions, including the Cheviots, Pennines, and North York Moors, where up to 60mm of rain was expected to fall.

The Environment Agency issued more than 200 flood warnings, with concerns that flooding could continue into the early part of the week in parts of Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. A spokesperson from the agency said, “Local flooding from rivers and surface water is probable in parts of the West Midlands, north-east, and north-west England.”

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, emphasized the need for greater environmental protection to address flooding in the future, especially in light of Labour’s plan to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. She said, “We have to make sure that we take environmental factors into account,” highlighting the need for urgent infrastructure investment.