Inside six tragic deaths during Storm Babet – as 130mph wind raged & hundreds of rivers burst banks | The Sun

STORM Babet claimed six victims as 130mph winds and torrential rain swept across the country causing widespread havoc.

Some 1,250 homes around the UK have been flooded after the storm battered the country for four days, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

The clear-up operation has begun after days of red alert warnings from the Met Office.

Even with the worst of Storm Babet having now passed there are still 106 flood warnings in place across England.

But the receding floods have tragically claimed six victims.

WATER RAPIDLY ROSE

Gran Maureen Gilbert, 83, was found dead at her home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, by her son and grandson on Saturday.

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She had desperately tried to flee the water as it entered her house, rising as high as eye-line.

As water swept into the home, her son Paul Gilbert raced towards her – a journey that would take seven hours.

By the time he could get there flooding meant the house was impossible to reach.

He returned at 9.30am on Saturday to find his mother's body.

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Mr Gilbert told Sky News: "I was hoping she'd got upstairs and everything was alright and that we'd see her the next morning.

"For me to have to come and find her myself was upsetting.

"I can't put it into words what it means at the moment."

Storm Babet has also been blamed for a horror five-vehicle pile-up on the M4 which claimed the lives of two women on October 20.

Emergency services were called to the eastbound carriageway between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath at approximately 9.10am.

FAST-FLOWING WATER

Two women travelling in one of the vehicles were sadly pronounced dead at the scene and specialist officers have informed their next of kin.

Cops on Friday confirmed two people had fallen victim to Storm Babet.

West Mercia Police said a man in his 60s had died in the storm.

He was found two hours after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water and being dragged under in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire.

Onlookers frantically called cops at around 10.40am on Friday before the tragic discovery was made.

He was the third person to die after John Gillan, 56, was travelling in his vehicle when a tree struck it in Angus, Scotland.

The body of Mackie's snack tycoon Wendy Taylor was pulled from the Water of Lee in Glen Esk, Angus, at around 4pm on Thursday.

Wendy was a director of the Taylor Snacks group, formerly Mackie's Crisps.

Her devastated family have paid tribute to the mum, who they described as a "ray of sunshine".

They added: "We are absolutely heartbroken to lose Wendy in such tragic circumstances and are still struggling to come to terms with it.

"Wendy was a beautiful, kind, funny and caring person. She was a ray of sunshine for everyone who was fortunate enough to know her.

"Wendy was the beloved wife, best friend and soulmate in life to George, mother to James, Sally and Susanna and Granny to India and George.

"Our family would like to thank Police Scotland for their professionalism and sensitivity in recent days. And in particular Paul Morgan of Police Mountain Rescue for recovering Wendy.

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"Thank you to all of our extended family and friends for supporting us through this indescribably difficult time."

The flooding clean up operation is expected to cost up to £500million, according to the Chartered Institute of Insurers.

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