Emergency Crews Deal with Hundreds of Calls as Storm Éowyn and Herminia Hit Cornwall

Tornado, Flooding, and Lightning Strike Cause Chaos Across the Duchy

Emergency crews in Cornwall faced a busy weekend as Storm Éowyn and the remnants of Storm Herminia battered the Duchy with strong winds, thunder and lightning, and heavy rain. Quintrell Downs, near Newquay, experienced a mini tornado that uprooted trees and damaged homes, adding to the disruption.

From Friday afternoon through to Monday morning, Cormac’s Highways team attended 183 emergency incidents, including around 100 cases of fallen trees blocking roads and more than 50 instances of flooding. Crews continued to tackle a further 380 issues reported on Monday as the clean-up operation got underway.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Responds to Floods and Fires

The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service was also kept busy, handling about 30 weather-related incidents over the weekend. Among the emergencies was a house fire caused by a lightning strike and several flooding incidents requiring urgent attention.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change, praised the response teams, saying: “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.”

Clean-Up Efforts and Teamwork

Kate Kennally, Chief Executive of Cornwall Council, highlighted the hard work and cooperation of the emergency services. Kate 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, also commended the dedication of the teams, stating: “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.”

Be Prepared for Future Flooding

To learn how to protect your home or business from flooding, visit the Be Flood Ready website.

As Storm Éowyn and Herminia leave a trail of disruption, the dedication of Cornwall’s emergency teams continues to play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of local communities.