Shock as roof hits Amble homes during Storm Éowyn
Storm Éowyn made her presence felt in various parts of Amble last Friday (24 Jan). Perhaps most alarming of all was when a roof from a construction site flew off and landed on neighbouring properties, with huge force.
The roof hit Carol and Steve Ratcliffe’s home as they sat inside. Photo: Steve Ratcliffe
Carol and Steve Ratcliffe were watching tv in their living room, when a roof being installed on a property on the other side of the road hit their house. The roof was part of a construction site for modular eco bungalows on Alndale, part of Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) new affordable housing scheme in Amble.
Carol told The Ambler what happened. “The roof lifted off from the far side and came up and over, and then up and over again. There was a huge bang and it hit our house. Steve was sitting on the sofa with his back to the window. Our little dog Fred was right next to him. I froze, then I had a few choice words! We were both shaking. I couldn’t believe it, it was like being in the Wizard of Oz!”
The roofs had been craned onto the bungalows only the day before. On the morning of Storm Éowyn, which was well advertised with an amber warning for wind, workmen were in the process of tying the new roofs down, but just before 9.30am one section blew off.
Both Carol and Steve feel they are lucky to have escaped injury or significant damage to their home, but they say they are still in shock, and keep re-living the event. See Carol and Steve’s CCTV footage above.
Steve said, “The roof lifted and spun twice. If there hadn’t been that second spin I believe it would have been through our window, and I probably wouldn’t be here now.”
Carol added, “Steve has still not gone outside the front of the house. He’s still shaking. I hope I never see that again. You hear of things like this happening, but you don’t think it will happen to you. There’s so many ‘what ifs’. It really doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Repairs will be carried out
Carol and Steve believe their solar panels saved their roof from too much damage. But neighbours Margaret and Charlie Smith’s property sustained more damage.
Margaret and Charlie Smith’s property sustained the most damage. Photo: Carol Ratcliffe
“I was out at the time, but my husband heard the noise,” said Margaret. “Fortunately he was at the back of the house. He heard a big bang and felt the house shake. It was such an unfortunate accident, but the council have been great. Even the postman was asking how we were. [Councillor] Terry Clark came round to see if we were ok. I’ve never seen so many people with phones and cameras outside taking pictures.”
Terry Clark, County Councillor for the Amble ward told The Ambler that full repairs will be carried out on the properties.
He told The Ambler, “I visited Mr and Mrs Smith whose bungalow was damaged when Friday’s storm tore off new roofs being fitted to Husk development bungalows in Coquetdale blowing them onto adjoining bungalows. Operatives were on site removing the structures and keeping everyone safe while making the damaged properties secure and watertight. Luckily the only damage was roof tiles and guttering.”
He added, “I did sit with Mr and Mrs Smith who sustained the most damage. They did appreciate the work being done securing their roof and the time NCC Officer spent liaising with them. Both seemed fine and in good spirits considering what could have been.”
A spokesperson from HUSK said:
“We sincerely apologise to the residents whose homes were damaged as a result of Storm Eowyn blowing materials from neighbouring construction works. We are currently conducting an internal investigation, and along with our partners, we are committed to fully addressing and rectifying any damage caused, as we have done in the days following the incident. Once again, we deeply regret the inconvenience and damage caused.”
The four eco bungalows on Alndale in Amble are part of an affordable housing scheme by NCC and HUSK.
The four new eco bungalows are part of a series of conversions from NCC owned garages, into affordable bungalows. Fourteen dwellings in total are being constructed by NCC and local developer HUSK in several parts of Amble.
Other damage caused by Storm Éowyn included tiles which came off the roof of the old Barclays bank on Queen Street, and a gable end was destroyed on a house on Cove Way.
The gable end of a house on Cove Way, at Gloster Hill was also seriously damaged. Photo: Martin Horn
Anna Williams
