Storm Ingrid has caused widespread damage across Devon and Cornwall, washing away part of a historic pier and causing a sea wall beside a major railway line to collapse. The storm battered Teignmouth overnight into Saturday, ripping through the town's Grand Pier, which first opened in 1867.
Teignmouth mayor Cate Williams described the conditions as “just wild” and said the pier had “taken a real battering”. She added: “It has lost part of the pier structure itself, that has dissolved and gone away into the sea. It's an old pier and it was needing some attention and I suppose age and wear and tear has taken its toll. It has survived many weather conditions as well as world wars. It's sad when you look at it now to see some of it now missing.”
In Dawlish, a sea wall protecting the main railway line to the south west partially collapsed, forcing the suspension of all train services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth. Network Rail issued a rare black alert – its highest warning – as 12ft waves slammed into the wall. It is only the second time such an alert has been issued since storms destroyed sections of track there in 2014.
Great Western Railway confirmed all trains between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot were cancelled because the line was unsafe. A spokesman said: “There's been a significant amount of debris that the sea has thrown onto the track that will need to be cleared before we can run trains safely.” A limited bus replacement service was operating.
Liberal Democrat MP for Newton Abbot Martin Wrigley said the damage showed “more work” was needed to protect the railway, which was a “crucial lifeline for the entire south east”. He added: “The wall beside the track at Sea Lawn Terrace has been demolished and there is literally tonnes of debris on the line, let alone the amount of water on the line.”
Elsewhere in Devon, properties were damaged in Torcross, and in Exmouth a car and a truck were left stuck in sand drifts. In Cornwall, a café in Falmouth was “bashed in” by waves. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain across the region until 10pm, and the Environment Agency has flood warnings in place along the south Devon and south Cornwall coasts.
