A family who has been left traumatised by flooding, caused by Storm Babet, have said that Rotherham Council have failed to help in the aftermath.
Valery Malcolm, who lives on Redstart Drive, on the banks of the River Rother, said: “I’m feeling very distressed, distraught, and very upset. I have lost everything entirely in my home. I am really angry, and I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know what to do, where to start or anything.
“This has put a lot of trauma on me as it is, and I’m already on medication for mental health issues. I just want my home repaired.”
250 homes were evacuated in Catcliffe, near Rotherham, according to the Environmental Agency.
She said: “We haven’t had anybody from outside the council come and help us with this property. A council van was parked outside this house earlier.
“I turned around and said to them and asked if they could give us a hand. They were eating food and they said yeah in a minute, and then a minute later they drove off. We’ve had no one to help us.
“I am very heartbroken. I am very distressed and I’m on medication and this has just put me through hell and trauma. To come home today, for the first time since the flood and see that no one has come to help is disgusting. They are just walking about, doing nothing.”
The amount of rainfall was double the monthly average and hit the village of Catcliffe in a period of 24-36 hours.
Adam Malcolm, her son, said: “As I like to say, the Rotherham council just get paid to stand about and look pretty.”
Residents of Catcliffe have been left feeling angry and abandoned by the council.
The family had also suffered severe flooding in their home in 2007 and were outraged that it happened again.
Bradley Malcolm said: “This is the third time that this place has flooded, but the second it got into the houses. It happened numerous times, and we were assured that this wouldn’t happen again.
“They said that they spent millions of pounds on defence projects against flooding, but I still don’t see much change, so it is really disappointing.
“I had to get evacuated from the house through the window because the water was way too high to get through the doors. I managed to get out, but the neighbours stayed to look after the house because back in 2007, we had looters come, and they didn’t want it to happen again.”
