Flood victim was former Derbyshire High Sheriff Annie Hall
Former Derbyshire High Sheriff Annie Hall was swept away by the River Derwent near Matlock, Derbyshire, early on Friday. …
Image copyright Derbyshire Police A woman swept to her death by a flooded river was Derbyshire’s former High Sherriff Annie Hall, police have said.
Her body was pulled from the River Derwent near Matlock on Friday, as persistent rain caused floods across Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Derbyshire Chief Constable Peter Goodman said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the death of his friend.
Seven severe flood warnings – deemed a threat to life – remain in place on the River Don in South Yorkshire.
Flooding has caused evacuations and travel disruption, with trains still not running in parts of the East Midlands.
In a statement, Mrs Hall’s family said: “We are in great shock and grieving.”
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Services are cancelled on the Matlock-Derby-Nottingham route and diversions are in place between Derby and Chesterfield, adding about 30 minutes to journeys.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said it had declared a major incident on Friday night, and said it had carried out more than 160 rescues over 24 hours.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Alex Johnson advised people to “keep themselves safe, help each other and don’t drive into flood water”.
Residents from 12 homes in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, are still unable to return home after a mudslide on Thursday led to 35 properties being evacuated.
In Derby city centre, officials considered a city-wide evacuation as authorities saw the River Derwent swell to record levels of 3.35m (11ft).
The bus station was temporarily evacuated on Friday evening, and some major roads remain flooded.
The River Don, which flows through Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, hit its highest recorded level at just over 6.3m (21ft), higher than it was in 2007 when it also flooded.
People continued to be rescued from flood-hit towns and cities on Friday.
One man told the BBC he carried children from his gym in Rotherham through flooded streets.
“The whole of the gym was completely flooded in water,” said Neil Wilson.
“We had to wade through water to get children to the cars so they could get home with their parents.”
One of the most severely hit areas was Bentley, Doncaster, where flooding affected many homes 12 years ago.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
One resident told BBC Radio Sheffield: “The worry is our insurance policies are expensive as it is because of the 2007 floods, so now we’re all worried whether we’re going to get reinsured.”
Reporter Richard Cadey said some residents were “angry and frustrated” at Doncaster Council – claiming it had not providing sandbags early enough to prevent properties from flooding.
A rest facility has been set up by the council at the Salvation Army centre in the town.
Flooding has caused disruption in the region since Thursday evening, when dozens of shoppers were left stranded in the Meadowhall Shopping Centre after torrential downpours.
On Friday Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Matlock, close to where Mrs Hall died.
He said the town could expect “extra help from the government”.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was expected to visit areas of flood-hit South Yorkshire on Saturday.
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
About The Author
