VIDEO: Waves crash over Paignton sea wall as Torbay deals with half a million pounds of weekend storm damage

Two fishing boats in Torquay Harbour broke free from their moorings but were recovered. Two ships sheltering in Tor Bay lost their anchors, and recovery operations were under way at the start of this week to recover them.

Two trailers and two large steel piles were washed into Torquay harbour.

More than 17 tonnes of debris was cleared from streets and seafronts around the bay as Storm Ingrid caused chaos.

Torbay Council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) has paid tribute to the teams of staff who took part in the clear-up after the storm which brought torrential rain and Force 10 winds which gusted up to 60mph.

Combined with high tides, the weather meant seafront roads had to be closed. There was also damage to walls, railings and buildings, along with the discovery of a suspected unexploded bomb which turned out to be a diver’s air canister.

Staff from Torbay Council, SWISCo and Tor Bay Harbours were among those working around the clock to clear up the damage.

From Friday onwards there were road closures along the seafront at Meadfoot, Livermead and Torquay due to high winds and waves. Paignton Sea Front was also closed as the promenade side was flooded.

There were a number of call outs on Saturday for fallen trees, flooding and damaged road signs and traffic signals.

At Meadfoot Sea Road there was damage to the wall and a number of beach chalets. The road was closed over the weekend, and fencing will be installed across the top of the main beach ramp to keep people safe and away from the damaged sea wall which has left a gaping hole.

A ramp at the Kilmorie car park was damaged, and is being fenced off. Fencing will also be installed across the top of the beach steps to deter people from exploring the ‘void’ left under the overhanging concrete slab.

Tor Bay Harbour Authority implemented heavy weather procedures before the storm, making sure boats were securely moored. 

Council and SWISCo teams dealt with a fallen tree at Youngs Park in Paignton, while highways staff dealt with multiple reports of trees blocking highways and paths. Altogether the clean up on Saturday took around ten hours.

On Sunday the highways crews spent eight hours clearing debris and sweeping, carrying on despite a number of drivers ignoring road closures.

Cllr Thomas said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the teams from the council, SWISCo and Tor Bay Harbours who worked so hard over the weekend to deal with the fall out from Storm Ingrid.

“Thank you to residents for observing road closures and please do stay safe and continue to follow local weather, traffic and travel advice.”