Latest news with #StormHerminia
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
People feel abandoned and alone after floods in Somerset
People that have been hit by recent floods have told their MP they feel frustrated and "left alone".Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, went back to Primrose Hill in Somerset to meet residents who had to leave their homes on 26 January due to floods caused by heavy rain from Storm Herminia. Rosie Dawson, from Charlton Mackrell near Primrose Hill, said: "I feel quite frustrated that we're left on our own to deal with this." Leader of Somerset Council Bill Revans said: "We are not an emergency service but we do support communities with their resilience." Ms Dawson explained the flooding has become "more frequent". During the poor weather in January, her garden flooded for the first time."Undoubtedly that's a part of climate change," she said."We're out as soon as the flooding comes, helping our neighbours."I find it extremely upsetting watching people carrying out their wet furniture, knowing they'll have to replace their kitchen again." Ms Dyke met residents on 14 February to discuss their concerns and find said: "We're at the forefront of climate change here. I've got many constituents coming to me saying they are worried about flooding."The anxiety that it causes is really disturbing." Ms Dyke added that she hopes to put together a plan with the local residents and the council, so everyone knows what to do in the case of future floodings."I will keep banging that drum. Prevention of flooding is what we want to achieve further down the line," Ms Dyke said. Dennis Elliott, another resident from Charlton Mackrell, said the issue was a lack of funding."Hopefully, Sarah can go away and assist us with the funding," he added."It would be hard to say I'm hopeful. I'm optimistic."We've been here many times before and failed to find the solution."
The Independent
11-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
Family mourn sailor who vanished in Bay of Biscay during Storm Herminia
Tributes have been paid to a 'loving and charismatic' sailor who vanished in the Bay of Biscay during a fierce storm. Charles Todd, 73, is feared dead after rescuers found the wreckage of his yacht day s after he set off to sail solo to the Caribbean. The family of the father-of-five have revealed they are 'heartbroken' by their 'sudden loss'. Mr Todd, a beloved sailor with the Greenwich Yachting Club in London, set off a distress beacon on January 25 around 50 miles west of France. It came after he radioed a cargo ship that he was safe after not initially responding to radio messages. It was his last contact before the search for Mr Todd was called off the following day after divers who winched down to the yacht, called Tiger PA, found no sign of the sailor. His daughter Nadine Gowan told the BBC that Mr Todd was sailing to the Caribbean when the tragedy occurred. She described him as someone who 'lived life to the full and was 'loving, charismatic, young-at-heart'. Born in Ghana, Ms Gowan said her father moved to Manchester when he was young and lived in Germany for more than two decades before returning to London in the 2000s. Greenwich Sailing Club in London posted on Facebook: 'Rest in peace dear friend.' A Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital vessel were both diverted to the area and to help with the search, alongside the French navy. After several hours of searching, it was called off 'due to a lack of information". The north of Spain and western France have had heavy rain and wind during Storm Herminia, which was named by Spanish meteorologists because the country was expected to experience the worst of the conditions.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Family 'heartbroken' as missing sailor named as London father
The family of a British sailor who went missing after his boat capsized off the south-west coast of France say they are "heartbroken by this sudden loss". Father-of-five Charles Todd, 73, sent out a distress signal from his yacht on 25 January amid fierce weather brought on by Storm Herminia in the area of the Bay of Biscay. A French air force helicopter was dispatched as part of an immediate response to try and find Mr Todd, but they found his 12-metre yacht, the Tiger PA, "eviscerated" in the Bay of Biscay. Mr Todd's family said the search was called off in the early hours of 26 January after teams were "unable to locate him". According to the Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique, the distress call was detected approximately 80km (50 miles) west of Lacanau at about 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT). As part of the rescue operation, French officials said a Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital vessel were both diverted to the area and to help with the search, alongside the French navy. But, at 01:33 (00:33 GMT) the following morning the Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique said the search was suspended "due to a lack of new information". In a tribute, Mr Todd's daughter, Nadine Gowan, told the BBC her father was sailing to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands when the tragedy occurred. His family described him as a "loving, charismatic, young-at-heart" and as someone "who lived life to the full". They added that Mr Todd was born in Ghana and moved to Manchester when he was young. He was a keen musician, a skilled carpenter and lived in Germany for 25 years where he ran his own joinery business, the family said. Mr Todd returned to London in 2004 and was a well-respected member of the Greenwich Yacht Club for over a decade. The family has expressed their gratitude to the French rescue teams and the British Consulate in Bordeaux.
BBC News
11-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Family 'heartbroken' as missing sailor named as London father Charles Todd
The family of a British sailor who went missing after his boat capsized off the south-west coast of France say they are "heartbroken by this sudden loss".Father-of-five Charles Todd, 73, sent out a distress signal from his yacht on 25 January amid fierce weather brought on by Storm Herminia in the area of the Bay of Biscay.A French air force helicopter was dispatched as part of an immediate response to try and find Mr Todd, but they found his 12-metre yacht, the Tiger PA, "eviscerated" in the Bay of Todd's family said the search was called off in the early hours of 26 January after teams were "unable to locate him". According to the Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique, the distress call was detected approximately 80km (50 miles) west of Lacanau at about 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT).As part of the rescue operation, French officials said a Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital vessel were both diverted to the area and to help with the search, alongside the French at 01:33 (00:33 GMT) the following morning the Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique said the search was suspended "due to a lack of new information". In a tribute, Mr Todd's daughter, Nadine Gowan, told the BBC her father was sailing to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands when the tragedy family described him as a "loving, charismatic, young-at-heart" and as someone "who lived life to the full".They added that Mr Todd was born in Ghana and moved to Manchester when he was young. He was a keen musician, a skilled carpenter and lived in Germany for 25 years where he ran his own joinery business, the family Todd returned to London in 2004 and was a well-respected member of the Greenwich Yacht Club for over a family has expressed their gratitude to the French rescue teams and the British Consulate in Bordeaux.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Daley surprises woman taking on 5,000 mile UK coastline charity challenge
A widow handing out knitted hearts on a 5000-mile hike around the UK coastline has received a message of support from crochet enthusiast and former Olympian Tom Daley. Tracey Howe, a retired professor from Glasgow, who is a quarter way through her challenge, is giving out 5,000 crochet hearts along her walk to strangers to remind people of those they have loved and lost. Ms Howe, 61, who is taking on the 365 day expedition in memory of her late wife Angela, was overjoyed to receive a video message from the diving legend. Mr Daly, 30, has also knitted several pink crochet hearts to 'encourage more people to talk about their grief'. 'For me the hearts are all about sharing the love and sharing stories, having Tom getting involved and sharing the message just means so much,' Ms Howe told the PA news agency. 'I'm such a big fan and having him support my fundraising is amazing – it's all about raising as much money as possible at the end of the day.' 'When I heard about Tracey's incredible 5,000-mile fundraising walk, I started crocheting that night,' said Mr Daley. 'Her story really resonated with me and it's so moving to hear that Tracey is giving out crochet hearts to remind people of their loved ones. 'I hope my hearts go a little way in encouraging more people to talk about their grief and helping Tracey raise as much money as possible for Marie Curie and all the other amazing charities she is supporting.' The mother-of-two started her coastline challenge from Glasgow last November and aims to finish there on October 31 2025. She has already covered the Ayrshire coast, the Lake District and will have completed the entire Welsh coastline by the end of this week. Ms Howe, who is walking an average of 17.5 miles (28km) per day, six days a week hopes to raise £100,000 which will be split between five charities – Beatson Cancer Charity, Marie Curie, Brainstrust, Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel. Her mission is also a personal pilgrimage where she has been attempting to process her grief after losing her wife of 37 years to blood cancer in September 2023. 'Our retirement plan was to buy a motorhome and just drive around Britain and visit all the places that we've been before or places that we said we'd like to go and see,' she said. 'I'm walking instead of driving and I've been living in the motorhome for a year. 'I'm processing my grief and trying to come to terms with being one person instead of two. 'I've relived some of the memories that we've lived before in places that we've visited together, and now I'm making new memories that are just me.' Ms Howe has battled all types of weather throughout her trek including the recent Storm Eowyn and Storm Herminia. She has also walked through every type of landscape. 'Walking the coast is interesting,' she said. 'You go from rugged cliffs to long flat beaches, which seem to go on forever, to pebbly or shelly beaches, to walking around estuaries, through farmers' fields. 'I've walked through industrial areas. In the lake districts, I've had to walk around Sellafield nuclear power station and walk through oil refineries.' One of the next stops on her route is Cornwall where she will walk along the South West Coast Path. She is also supporting The Great Daffodil Appeal – Marie Curie's biggest annual fundraiser. To learn more about Ms Howe's coastal challenge you can visit her fundraising page at:
