Big clean-up after storms

A massive clean-up operation was under way in the Midlands today as residents surveyed the devastation caused by a mini tornado and torrential rain.

The total cost of damage to properties spiralled as roof tiles were blown off homes, trees dramatically uprooted and back gardens left in ruins by a five-minute whirlwind in Netherton.

Families were forced to scramble to the upstairs of their homes across Sandwell as the torrential rain sent flood water gushing though houses.

Lightning hit a building in Wolverhampton city centre as the freak weather brought power cuts and floods to the city. And more than 40 workers were trapped inside their factory in Sutton Coldfield after floodwaters up to 6ft deep encircled the building. Night shift workers at toolmaker WH Smith & Sons in Minworth had been due to clock off at 8am but were forced to sit it out until last night.

In Netherton, eyewitnesses saw a whirlwind coming at them after an afternoon of heavy rain. Many stood in their living rooms, rooted to the spot, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Neighbours piled out onto the streets in Cradley Road, Cradley Park Road and other surrounding areas to compare tales of woe and begin cleaning up the mess. Firefighters were on hand for most of yesterday afternoon to help make homes safe and secure.

Pensioner Rae Davies had a lucky escape after a giant conifer tree in her garden uprooted and crashed just feet from where she was standing in Cradley Road. Widower Mrs Davies, who has lived in the road since she was nine years old, was trapped in her own home for a couple of hours as the tree fell across her front door. She said: "It left me in shock - it was terrifying."

Her next-door-neighbour Paul Sparrow is also picking up the pieces today after the whirlwind ruined garden furniture and pulled fence panels out of the ground.

Bill Adams, aged 70, of Cradley Road, heard a big bang - and went outside to find half of his chimney pot had smashed through the sunroof of his car and landed on the drivers seat. Gail Doggett, of Cradley Road, returned home after picking up one-year-old daughter Selina to find the television in her living room had been turned around. "It was bolt straight when I came in and normally it is positioned at an angle, it was very weird," she said. Husband David who was at work at S & M Furniture in Chapel Street, Netherton, said: "I got back home to find fence panels all over the place and things broken. It was that strong it even moved our next door neighbour's shed."

Steven Pitts and Warren Smith, both aged 27, run a t-shirt printing business in Cradley Road and witnessed the mini-tornado heading towards the road first-hand.

Steven said: "We saw it out of the window, a circular upside down cone shape coming right at us. It was about 15 metres wide and there was debris and all sorts flying round inside it." Warren added: "It was amazing - just like that film Twister"

Janet Sabin, of Cradley Road, was first to call the fire brigade after watching the whirlwind hurtle towards her

It left her carefully prepared garden in ruins - fence panels were smashed along with garden furniture and a water feature. "Everything was swirling around, the windows were rattling,"she said. Meanwhile in Wolverhampton, lightning struck a derelict site in Cleveland Street and storms caused a power cut which knocked out large swathes of the city centre. The Mander Centre and Wulfrun Centres were plunged into darkness for around 10 minutes after the power cut at 3.10pm.

Organisers of Wolverhampton's German beer festival in West Park were hit by the heavy downpours.

In Sandwell, residents were trapped in bedrooms and bathrooms as the floors below them were swamped by water today. In Allerton Lane, West Bromwich, raw sewage began spurting out of block drains, and into lounges and kitchens.

In Roway Lane, Oldbury, the floods gushed through the downstairs of properties, as residents were marooned in the upstairs, with no electricity.

Angela Gill, aged 35, and her family - husband Jason, 36 and daughter Lexi, 16 - have been left stranded on the upper floor of their home, with now power, since 3am.

On the roads there was severe flooding, in Soho Way and Heath Street, in Smethwick, in the early hours of this morning. Drivers were also blocked by floods in Birchfield Way when the canal burst its banks.

Roads in Oldbury also suffered from flash flooding - Vicarage Road and Tat Bank Road - where water almost blocked the highways. West Bromwich Street in West Bromwich also suffered from minor flooding, forcing traffic to slow down to get through the puddle.

Trains throughout the region were also badly affected with tracks flooded. A major clean-up operation was also taking place today in Kidderminster. Around half-a-dozen homes in Linnet Rise on the Spennells estate were devastated by heavy rainfall on Thursday evening. The huge levels of water lifted up man hole covers on mains inspection chambers and forced water to flood through front doors of the terraced houses.

Michelle Dixon, of number 46, a student nurse had only moved into her home in February. The 24-year-old said:"I had just popped out to the post office and when I came back it was throwing it down.

"I could not park my car in the car park because the water from the mains had left a mini lagoon.

"The water seeped in to my hall, lounge and kitchen and was almost ankle deep."

In Tamworth, 100 properties have been flooded due to the River Anker breaching its banks. Fire pumps from Cannock, Lichfield, Needwood and Tamworth attended the scene at 3.20am this morning and were still cleaning up today. A boat also had to be used to rescue one horse and several sheep from a field in Lichfield Road, Tamworth. In Walsall a scout group faces ruin after its new building was flooded causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to carpets and equipment.

The Six Walsall Scout Group headquarters, based at Delves Green Road, has been left devastated by torrential rain.

The building which the scouts only moved into two weeks ago was left submerged under 8 inches of water yesterday morning following a day of incessant rain.

However one of the Black Country's top gardeners has vowed to plough on and open her prize-winning garden to the public on Monday despite the atrocious weather.

Maureen Allen, of St John's Road in Pleck, has been knee-deep in water following the rain and she and her husband have been emptying the garden with buckets.

By Wayne Beese