A woman who was trapped in her apartment with her six-week-old baby during the heavy flooding on New Year’s Day said the experience was “terrifying”.
Neha Dey-Morgan was stranded in her top floor flat on Palatine Road in Didsbury, Manchester when the River Mersey burst its banks in the torrential rain.
She said her family, who are currently staying with her husband’s parents, have been told they will not be able to return for two weeks while the electricity is repaired.
Ms Dey Morgan said the flood was “frightening” and has questioned whether more could have been done to protect residents.
Warnings were raised by the Environment Agency ahead of the severe flooding which affected more than 1,000 people in Greater Manchester.
The region’s Mayor Andy Burnham promised authorities would look into whether “the right warnings were given”, while local councillors raised concerns about the adequacy of flood defences.
Ms Dey-Morgan said her husband had set out to buy food for a New Year’s Day lunch on the morning of the flood but was unable to get back in because of the rising water.
“I was with kids, we had no idea what was happening outside, and then he called and said there was lots of water in the garage.
“We didn’t expect a massive flood,” she said.
With the mains shut off, Ms Dey-Morgan began to panic that she had no other source of water for the baby.
She called 999 and firefighters took her and her children out of the building in a boat.
“The electricity meter is destroyed, there is no water, we were very lucky that we were on the top floor,” she said.
“What is concerning is why the authorities were not ready for this situation,” Ms Dey-Morgan said.
“I understand natural disasters can happen, but knowing the river is half a mile away, I think there could be much more precautions.”
The has approached the building’s property management company for comment.
