Emergency crews responded to hundreds of calls as strong winds, thunder and lightning and heavy rain hit the Duchy over the weekend.
Storm Éowyn and the remnants of the Spanish-named storm Herminia caused disruption across Cornwall, and a mini tornado uprooted trees and damaged homes in Quintrell Downs, near Newquay.
From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, Cormac’s Highways team dealt with 183 emergency incidents. Around 100 of those involved trees that were blocking roads, and more than 50 were related to flooding.
On Monday (January 27) crews were assessing a further 380 issues reported on the roads as the clean-up operation continued.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service dealt with around 30 weather-related incidents over the weekend, including a small fire at a house that was struck by lightning. Crews also attended several incidents of flooding.
Councillor Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change at Cornwall Council, said: “We’d like to say thank you to our staff and partners who responded to incidents over the weekend.
“It has been a very busy time, and they do an amazing job keeping Cornwall’s communities safe."
Kate Kennally, Chef Executive of Cornwall Council, said: “I’d like to thank all our emergency staff who dealt with incidents over the weekend, and are continuing to clean-up the damage.
“Teams from Cormac, Cornwall Council and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service have cleared roads, dealt with flooding, responded to dangerous structures and trees and provided advice and support to households who lost power.
“We are very grateful to all of our staff, and our colleagues in other emergency services, who are working to keep us safe.”
Steve Bayley, Cornwall Highways Network Manager, said: “I'm genuinely grateful for the commitment shown by our teams in keeping our communities safe in such challenging conditions. Their hard work shows the importance of teamwork and resilience when dealing with emergency situations and extreme weather events.”
For information on how to protect your home or business from flooding, visit the Be Flood Ready website.
Press release issued on January 28, 2025