TORRENTIAL rain and gale force winds battered West Somerset this week, bringing misery to hundreds of people as flash flooding closed roads, brought down trees and disrupted schools and businesses.
The wet winter weather continued its relentless passage across the district, with wind and flood alerts in force across towns and villages.
And with further heavy rain, severe gales and storms forecast for the coming days, people are being warned to brace themselves for more possible disruption, particularly along the coast and in exposed areas.
The worst of the weather hit the district on Tuesday evening, with a storm which still had a sting in its tail the following morning.
With gusts of more than 50mph, the Met Office issued amber wind alerts - just one down from the most serious - with amber warnings also for rain.
More than 20mm of rain fell on already saturated ground on Wednesday, with a similar amount expected yesterday (Thursday).
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency issued amber flood alerts on a series of West Somerset streams, including the Horner Water, the Aller and Washford rivers and the Hawkcombe, Monksilver and Doniford streams.
Similar warnings were in place on water courses across Exmoor.
The warning changed to a red alert on the Doniford stream in the Sampford Mill Farm area early on Wednesday.
There were intermittent problems at Washford Cross, Washford, Bilbrook - including Dragon's Cross where drainage improvement work was recently carried out - Carhampton and Dunster.
The A396 Bridgetown to Exebridge was closed after a fallen tree blocked the road at Chilly Bridge.
And on Minehead's Esplanade a tree was uprooted, narrowly missing a seafront shelter as it crashed to the ground.
There were also problems for residents in and around Stogursey who were already coping with the closure of Stogursey Lane - the route from the village to Nether Stowey - for the installation of new drainage.
The alternative route through Stringston flooded, while the road out of Stogursey onto the C182 to Hinkley Point nuclear power station was only passable with care.
A spokesman for EDF Energy, which runs the B station, said the situation was being carefully monitored and alternative methods of getting staff to work were in place should it change.
Cllr Chris Morgan, who represents the area on West Somerset Council, said the Hinkley road was flooding in places that people had never seen it flood before.
As the bad weather continued to sweep across the area, Avon and Somerset police advised motorists to make only essential journeys and avoid isolated roads and lanes across low-lying land or near to watercourses and drainage channels.
And they also warned people not to attempt to drive through floodwater, with crews from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service being called out to help dozens of motorists across the two counties.
The weather also caused disruption for staff and pupils at some schools.
In Minehead, hundreds of West Somerset College students had their lessons cut short after bus companies, fearful of the worsening weather, brought the homeward journeys forward to midday.
Youngsters from the Doniford, Washford, Williton, Old Cleeve, Blue Anchor, Carhampton and Roadwater areas were affected, while a bus serving Holford, Kilve and Doniford never even made it to the college in the morning, having to turn back and return pupils home.
The weather also forced the postponement of the college's production of a musical which was supposed to open at Minehead's Regal Theatre on Wednesday.
Children bussed to other schools also faced disruption.
On Exmoor, the weather has also been taking its toll on visitor numbers to the annual Snowdrop Valley attraction.
Organisers said people watching images of much of Somerset under water had been cancelling their visits to the spring extravaganza.
However, the park and ride service is operating, with buses running daily from the Exmoor Farmers Market until February 23 and walking access to the site until March 2.
In Williton, where more than two dozen homes and businesses were hit by flooding last year, the bad weather came too soon for a new local action flood scheme.
Although a team of voluntary wardens is not expected to be operating until the end of February, Williton Parish Council chairman Cllr Robert McDonald - who has been driving the scheme - was checking out flood prone areas on Wednesday.
"The rivers and streams were very high but luckily the levels were going down again pretty quickly," he said.
"The hard work that was carried out maintaining and clearing the water courses last summer seems to have paid off."
In neighbouring Watchet, coastal defences on the east side of the harbour were hit as the power of the sea pushed some of the large rock armouring onto the beach.
And the strong waves also lifted manhole covers in Market Street, sending water shooting into the air.
West Somerset Council leader Cllr Tim Taylor, who represents Carhampton and Withycombe, where roads were under water and some residents lost power supplies, said he acknowledged the difficulties that many people had experienced.
"Flash flooding has occurred, causing significant disruption and hardship for some residents," he said.
"As a council we will be considering the causes and impact of flash flooding.
"During heavy rain water can suddenly rise and then subside rapidly, causing both disruption and damage."
Cllr Taylor said the main problem in Carhampton and Withycombe had been the huge run-off from fields, bringing silt and stones down with it.
"With other debris, these can block drains and culverts and bring water into some properties."
Cllr Taylor said these issues would be considered by local government and other agencies.
"I would like to express my deep gratitude to those who have cleared watercourses, ditches and drains during the inland flooding we have experienced," he said.
"Thanks must also go to those who sprang into action when our coastline was battered by tidal surges.
"Police, fire, employees from local councils and the Environment Agency are working together to protect communities, while some communities are showing remarkable resilience by putting their own emergency plans into action."
Cllr Taylor said he wanted to acknowledge the significant work done - often in terrible weather - by those keeping the district's vital services running.
"An employee from Western Power, for example, was working at height at 8am on Wednesday to restore the electricity supply to parts of Withycombe, while a BT Openreach engineer was repairing disconnected telephone lines.
"We owe all these people grateful thanks."
With more bad weather on the way this weekend and into next week, the district council said it had emergency plans in place.
At least 800 sandbags have been delivered to key locations so far, a flood barrier has been put up in Watchet and water outlets discharging into the sea have been cleared.
Assistant director for operations Chris Hall said staff were prepared to act around the clock as conditions demanded, and to respond to critical situations as they arose.
"Our teams are ready and prepared to respond both day and night and this has been well demonstrated in recent days," he said.
"We are aware of the weather forecast for the coming days and are on standby."
Meanwhile, coastguards are warning people not to get too close to the coastline during stormy weather and to take care along exposed cliff paths or beaches, with a number of areas in the district vulnerable to landslips.
Watchet station officer Ian Wedlake said the warning followed the actions of some people during bad weather last Saturday.
With the seafront roads closed to traffic at Minehead, Watchet and Blue Anchor, some onlookers ignored the signs and moved barriers to drive closer to the sea.
"The risk of strong waves hitting vehicles and debris being thrown onto the road are a danger to both passing vehicles and pedestrians," he said.
"And there is also the potential for people to be pulled into the sea by a wave, as has happened elsewhere in the country.
"The advice of HM Coastguard is don't take risks.
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