A grandmother died after floodwaters from Storm Babet crashed into her home faster than she was able to get upstairs to escape them.
Maureen Gilbert, 83, is understood to be the ninth person who has died in weather-related incidents in recent days after her street in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, flooded on Saturday (October 21).
News of her death comes as the Government issued two severe, “risk to life” flood warnings for the River Idle in the East Midlands on Sunday (October 22).
Two hundred properties were told to evacuate by Nottinghamshire Fire Service this morning with the river due to peak at 8.00pm tonight.
Meanwhile, three severe flood warnings have now been lifted on the River Derwent in Derby.
Mrs Gilbert’s heartbroken family said had lived in the street all her life and revealed how her son and grandson found her body at home on Saturday morning.
She lived downstairs in the two-story house as she was unable to get upstairs, but floodwaters made their way into her home at “chest height” and she was unable to save herself.
Derbyshire Police have said officers were called to a property in Tapton Terrace at 10.35am on Saturday.
Mrs Gilbert’s daughter-in-law Kaye, writing on a fundraising page, said: “After a sleepless night, my husband and son found my 83 year old, housebound, mother-in-law, had passed away.
“She had unfortunately been unable to escape upstairs at the speed the water levels were rising.
“Not only do we have an uninsured house as the excess for flood damage was over £10,000 to clean and restore but a funeral to pay for all whilst grieving.”
