"It's like a disaster movie": Tiny Cornish village hit by flash flood as terrifying wall of water 5 feet high hits homes

"It's like a disaster movie": Tiny Cornish village hit by flash flood as terrifying wall of water 5 feet high hits homes, battered parts of the country tonight and people have been airlifted from their homes.

Air-sea rescue helicopters have been winching terrified residents and stranded car drivers to safety as the storm from hell turned the small Cornish seaside town of Coverack into a 'disaster movie' this evening.
There are fears for a couple in their seventies who were winched into a coastguard air-sea rescue helicopter in what was described as a 'life critical incident'.
Residents have described the scene like an "apocalypse" and compared it to the devastation in Boscastle several years ago.

Rescuers at the scene of the flash flooding in Coverack, Cornwall (Image: @lizardpeninsula/Twitter)

A man looks at a damaged driveway caused by water from flash flooding in the coastal village of Coverac (Image: PA)

Roads have become like rivers in the tiny seaside town (Image: @lizardpeninsula/Twitter)

At least two people have been rescued by a coastguard helicopter, based in Newquay, a spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed.
"Six people were in a house and two have been rescued from the house by helicopter," she said.
She said there were no injuries reported, but had no further details on the rescue.
Huge waterfalls cascaded over the sea wall in the town and there are reports of enormous hailstones bombarding the area.

Water flows down a driveway after the storm hit Cornwall (Image: PA)

Water cascades down the sea front (Image: PA)

Water comes cascading down the beach front (Image: PA)

Wendy Davies, who lives in Coverack, said her garden was destroyed but feared many others had lost everything and described it as a scene out of a disaster movie.
She said: "It is pretty shocking. The rescue helicopter is here getting people out and there are about ten fire engines all over the village.
"Everyone I have spoken to has been flooded in the village and it is still coming down the main road with immense force.
"A poor couple near to us had to make a quick getaway to the top floor. I think they have now been rescued.
"When I eventually got out of the house the hailstones were so bad it looked apocalyptic. It was like something out of a disaster movie.

Rescue crews attend the scene in Coverack (Image: SWNS.com)

A bus had to stop on a hill and passengers were rescued (Image: SWNS.com)

(Image: PA)

"The whole sea wall was like the Niagara Falls It was really horrific. There was debris everywhere and furniture being washed away.
"It is very upsetting. My garden is totally trashed. We had just an old retaining wall that it came straight through.
"This is the worst storm I have ever been in. It went on for nearly two hours and the hailstones were huge."
Other people reported serious damage to their homes, with one person having their shed washed away.
"It was quite horrendous," said the local business owner, who did not want to be named.

Storm clouds gather over Fowey Harbour (Image: www.alamy.com)

A damaged road in Coverack, Cornwall (Image: SWNS.com)

"It was torrential, the water that was coming down our road, but it's all subsided, it's much better now, except for the river itself is still quite a torrent.
"Our neighbours across the road from us, their shed disappeared down the river. Our neighbours, just up the road from us, their oil tank disappeared down the river.
"But luckily nobody hurt, anyway. I think the biggest sufferer is the main road into Coverack. I don't think that is passable at the moment.
"I have never seen such big hails. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing and it was hailing, all at the same time. It was quite amazing really."
The owner of a cafe in the village also described seeing helicopters winching people to safety.

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Chloe Marsland says the sudden rush of water was almost instantaneous.
She added: "It's like Boscastle all over again, there is no business or house not been affected.
"It's absolutely harrowing. The house opposite me filled with water really quickly.
"The fire service are unblocking the drains, it's stopped raining now, so they're trying to create a flow down the street to get rid of the water.

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

(Image: Harry Hicks / SWNS.com)

People said they were the biggest hailstones they'd ever seen (Image: Harry Hicks / SWNS.com)

Chloe said that as far as she's aware, everybody is safe but her garage is flooded with around 12 inches of water.
She added: "The village is completely cut off, we cannot get across north corner.
"They're not letting anyone cross the roads and the torrents."

The floods have caused a lot of damage (Image: SWNS.com)

Rescue crews attending the scene (Image: SWNS.com)

Roads are completely flooded (Image: PA)

Karla Wainwright, who works in the village's Paris Hotel, said hailstones the size of 50p pieces smashed small panes of glass on the building.
She said: "It wasn't until it cleared up at 4.30pm, and we could see over the other side of Coverack, and we could see the stream coming down the main road and going just straight off over the wall into the sea, that we realised how bad it had been and how much water and rain had come down."

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The main local river has burst its banks and the main road in and out of the fishing village has been blocked.
Local parish councillor Bill Frisken said the floodwater was 'carrying boulders the size of a man's head' through the village.
He said:"It is very, very dangerous. A couple of feet of water has washed straight across the road."

The floods have caused horrific damage (Image: PA)

Water has flooded the tiny seaside town (Image: Harry Hicks / SWNS.com)

The village has been badly affected by the floods (Image: Getty Images Europe)

He said he had not been 'able to touch base with the centre of the village' where fire and coastguard crews are involved in a rescue operation.
Carla Wainwright works in a local hotel and said:"A lot of people are coming in from the village and other places as their homes on the lower floors have been completely flooded."
Another local hotel was completely flooded and lost their power in the floods and hail storms which smashed windows.
Gloria Knight tweeted a photo of garden after the storm, which was covered in debris.
She said: "It's awful. Here's what remains of my garden. Most of which last seen heading out in the Channel."
Other towns and villages across Cornwall and Devon were also affected.
The tiny village of St Keverne in the hills near Coverack was also badly hit.

Vegetation is uprooted caused by water from flash flooding (Image: PA)

One villager wrote on Facebook: "Water really deep between end of Porthkerris Lane and Porthallow Road.
"Cars won't make it though, it was up to the Transit bonnet."
Others have been appealing on social media for sandbags, with one saying their windscreen wipers broke under the force of the rain and water was flying over the top of their van as they drove through the waterlogged roads.
The Met Office issued a yellow bad weather alert from 4pm this afternoon until just before midnight, warning it could spark flooding.

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Elderly couple rescued from their flooded homes in Coverack  

Forecasters say thundery showers could become more widespread throughout the evening.
The Met Office said "Thundery showers are expected to push north across southern parts of the UK through Tuesday evening, perhaps turning more widespread towards midnight.
"Although many places won't see these showers, there is a chance of localised flooding of homes, businesses and susceptible roads.
"Frequent lightning may be an additional hazard with possible disruption to power networks.
"Similarly, but very locally, hail may cause impacts."