Everytime it rains, we all get that sinking feeling

NINE MONTHS ON FROM NEW YEAR'S DAY FLOODS RESIDENTS GET 'PTSD' WHEN WET WEATHER HITS

- By DAMON WILKINSON, STEPHEN TOPPING

WHEN the heavens opened last Saturday, Amy Hayes got a familiar sinking feeling.

She was one of dozens of people rescued by firefighters after her home in Stockport's Meadow Mill was left underwater during the devastating New Year's Day floods. And almost nine months later she still lives in fear of it happening again.

"Everyone is worried that it's going to flood again," the 34-year-old said. "They've not done anything to stop it from flooding again.

"When it's raining, we've got a WhatsApp group, everyone is saying 'is anyone else getting PTSD because it's raining?' Everyone is worried."

Up to three inches of rain fell in just 24 hours in some areas, from New Year's Eve into New Year's Day. Rivers burst their banks with streets submerged and water sent gushing into homes. Emergency services declared a major incident as hundreds of people had to be rescued from cutoff buildings, including Meadow Mill and the Britannia Country House Hotel in south Manchester.

At the height of the chaos 55 flood warnings - which means flooding is 'expected' and that those in the affected areas should 'act now' - were in place along with 15 less serious flood alerts.

Antonia Elford, 28, had been out at a New Year's Eve party when the downpours began. She returned to Meadow Mill, where she lives with her boyfriend, to find the building already flooded - and the couple were only able to get back inside at around 3.30pm.

"It's not that I feel like it's going to happen again necessarily," she said. "But I feel like you get a little worry in your brain, a bit like PTSD - you think 'oh my gosh, is it going to happen again? Should I move my car?'