0:00:02 > 0:00:05'The British weather is often unpredictable.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'It's now having an even bigger effect on our lives.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12'Floods threaten our homes.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'Fires devastate our countryside
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'and savage storms ravage our coastlines.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:23We find out what happens to Britain when it's hit by freak weather.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28We see stories of people's lives
0:00:28 > 0:00:31turned upside down by the completely unexpected.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35And we show you
0:00:35 > 0:00:40how to help protect yourself, your home and your family from disaster.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Welcome to Living Dangerously.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We've all seen the headlines of flooding and storm damage.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57What's it really like when extreme weather wrecks your life?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Today, two families tell their story.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06'Coming up, the storm that left a couple's dream home
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'teetering on the edge of a cliff.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:11All of a sudden it just went wild.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18'A lucky escape for the family whose house was struck by lightning.'
0:01:18 > 0:01:21All I could hear was Shannon screaming.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25'With home video, actual footage and reconstruction,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29'we show what happened during these real life weather events.'
0:01:38 > 0:01:43'Britain's an island nation with thousands of miles of coastline
0:01:43 > 0:01:46'and sandy beaches catering to every taste.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'Many of us have such fond memories of holidays by the sea
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'that it's a common dream to retire to the coast.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01'Successful greengrocers Josie and Colin Arnold sold their business
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'to fund their dream of running a hotel by the sea.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'They were searching east Yorkshire when they clapped eyes
0:02:09 > 0:02:11'on the perfect spot, Cliff Farm,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15'a derelict 150-year-old farmhouse with land
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'and stupendous sea views.'
0:02:19 > 0:02:21You just fall in love with places.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It had such potential where it was.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28We could make a living out of it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32That's what we did, we made a cafe and caravan park,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35a camping ground, from nothing.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41'Josie and Colin got their farmhouse in 1988 for a bargain £10,000,
0:02:41 > 0:02:46'but they sunk three times that amount into fixing it up.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49'Getting the house in order took time.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53'The roofs needed mending, walls had to be rebuilt
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'and then there was plastering and decorating.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01'Josie spent many a happy hour creating a cottage garden.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07'Colin found himself continually making improvements.'
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It's a building that you can't explain.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13"I'll do a bit more to this, a bit more to that."
0:03:13 > 0:03:18The character just sort of overtakes you.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23'Within a year, everything was ready and the site opened for business.'
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Then you get people coming to visit.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30They fall in love with the place.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'For 19 years, families came to Cliff Farm
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'to enjoy a holiday by the sea, and business thrived.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43'Now, there's no sign of the campsite or the caravan park.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47'Not even a hint of the land where it stood.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51'Josie and Colin have had to abandon their farmhouse.
0:03:51 > 0:03:58'They've invited me to their new home to hear how extreme weather shattered their dreams.'
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Hello.- Hello.- Hi. Nice to meet you.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- Are we through here? - Yes. Go on through.- Thank you.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Josie, paint the picture for me.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14A time when it was really great being here at Cliff Farm.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16It was beautiful.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21We had a caravan park, a campsite with tents and tourers on.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It was lovely. We made friends with everybody.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28We never advertised. They just came cos it was so lovely.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- You can't get any nearer the beach. - You certainly can't!
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It was really super.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38'Josie and Colin couldn't believe their good luck
0:04:38 > 0:04:42'to have such a wonderful place to live.'
0:04:42 > 0:04:46It's something that people only ever dream about.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51You look out of the window and it's the horizon. You see Bridlington.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53You can see the white cliffs.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It can be quite incredible. I love it!
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'With such amazing views, the Arnolds grew to enjoy
0:05:02 > 0:05:07'watching the spectacular storms that hit the coastline here.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14'With a comfortable distance between themselves and the breakers,
0:05:14 > 0:05:19'it didn't cross their minds that waves could threaten their home.'
0:05:19 > 0:05:25When we bought Cliff Farm, it was 90 to 100 feet from the cliff edge,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27which is a long way.
0:05:27 > 0:05:34You don't look at it and think, "That's going to disappear."
0:05:34 > 0:05:40It's quite a permanent piece of...land.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44'But the 30 foot cliffs here are made of boulder clay,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'a soft soil prone to landslips,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51'as Josie and Colin learned to their peril
0:05:51 > 0:05:56'when extreme weather hit without warning in 1996.'
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- There was a massive storm here.- Yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03It doesn't happen often, all things come together -
0:06:03 > 0:06:05high tide, spring tide,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07northeasterly wind behind it.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And you're in it. It's coming straight for you.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It did it on New Year's Day.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26I was actually cooking a meal in the afternoon, for the evening meal.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30There was an enormous bang against the back wall.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39We left the kitchen, which was on the sea side.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43We couldn't bear to stay in there so we came out.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49By four o'clock it was hitting the bathroom window on the first floor.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04Every seventh wave, approximately, is a really big one.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08It's a strange noise.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It's like thunder under the ground.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And before a big wave hits it goes silent.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's silent and then you'd hear it rumbling.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28You know that it's coming and there's nothing you can do about it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38All of a sudden, it just went wild.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It had started taking the fences down,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55smashing them up against the wall.
0:07:55 > 0:08:01It picked up a caravan and threw it across the garden, and a car.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It was astonishing. We'd never seen anything like it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08'Coming up on Living Dangerously,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13'Josie and Colin show me what's left of their farmhouse.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16'Find out what you need to know before buying a home.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:20People have been sold properties at exorbitant prices
0:08:20 > 0:08:25where local people knew they would have problems within a few years.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31'Meet the Day family.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35'Mum Julie, Dad Pete, and their three daughters Jodie,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37'Shannon and Megan.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40'They moved to Poole in Dorset two years ago
0:08:40 > 0:08:44'and settled into a roomy semi-detached house with a garden
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'big enough for barbecues and football.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'The house needed work, but Pete was happy to do it himself.'
0:08:51 > 0:08:58I just decorated every room, putting our touch on it, really.
0:08:58 > 0:09:05I'd just got all the work done before Christmas last year.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I said to my wife, Julie,
0:09:07 > 0:09:12"This year will be the first summer that I would have to do nothing."
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I could enjoy the garden, enjoy the area.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20I hadn't got anything else to do. Well, that all changed.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Gale force winds and driving rain
0:09:26 > 0:09:29combined to create chaotic conditions...
0:09:29 > 0:09:34'On March 10 2007, the family woke up to high winds and heavy rain.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:36I was listening to local radio.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41They let us know whether the schools would be shut.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43JINGLE: # 2CR FM! #
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'It's Monday 10th March. I'm Paul Bunker. She's Caroline Verdon.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- 'A rotten day in store, Caroline. - Yes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:59'If you're at Lytchett Minster school, don't worry about getting up, your school is closed.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'This extreme weather was worse than most.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'Commuters face tricky conditions...'
0:10:05 > 0:10:10'For the youngest Day, Megan, it was rather frightening.'
0:10:10 > 0:10:15She worries about the weather. I was telling her, "Don't worry."
0:10:15 > 0:10:17She said, "What's going to happen?"
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I said, "There'd be a few trees down."
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It was bad windy weather that morning.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28'With everyone at home, Julie does the ironing in the kitchen,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32'while Megan and a friend watch TV in the lounge.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37'Jodie and Shannon are upstairs going through their clothes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44'Even Jake the cat is enjoying a day relaxing at home.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'Suddenly, the storm takes a turn for the worse.'
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The rain started getting even heavier.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53My mum's car alarm started going off.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Instead of us shouting, "Mum, your car alarm's going off,"
0:10:57 > 0:10:59we both went downstairs.
0:10:59 > 0:11:05As we got to the middle of the stairs, there was a massive bang.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09An explosion, I thought it was.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14I could see smoke coming out the living room where my youngest was.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20All the ceilings fell. Jodie was screaming cos something hit her.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25The whole house shook. We didn't know what had happened.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31'That's when Shannon catches a glimpse of something terrifying.'
0:11:31 > 0:11:37I could see a reflection of orange. The mirror was shining on the door.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I could see orange flames at the door.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45I went to the front room and grabbed my youngest one and her friend.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50I could see all this black up the wall. I thought the TV had exploded.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'Julie was wrong. It was far worse.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'The house had been struck by lightning,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'setting it on fire in a matter of minutes.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09'But it would be a while longer before anyone would realise.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'In the meantime, Julie gets Megan and her friend out of the house.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19'With Jodie and Shannon inside, she bravely leaves the younger girls to head back in,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'without noticing the roof is on fire.
0:12:25 > 0:12:31'Julie discovers that her daughters are looking for the family pet.'
0:12:31 > 0:12:35All I could hear was Shannon screaming
0:12:35 > 0:12:37for Jake her cat.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41They are part of our family, they have been for eight years.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46It's like leaving one of the children in the house, basically.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50I didn't think about it. I just ran up the stairs.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'Understandable though it is to want to rescue a pet,
0:12:54 > 0:12:59'this is the most dangerous thing to do in a house fire.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:03I couldn't go further than the top of the stairs because of the debris.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05The ceilings were on the beds.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09If the cat was under there, there was nothing we could do.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13'Unable to get to where the cat was last seen,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17'Julie gives up, rushing Jodie and Shannon out to safety.'
0:13:17 > 0:13:25The neighbour came running and said "move away from the house" cos the house was on fire.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30'Amazingly, until this point, Julie had no idea
0:13:30 > 0:13:33'that the entire top floor was burning.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37'The blaze quickly spread, but help was on its way.'
0:13:37 > 0:13:40As we were proceeding, we could see smoke.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47We turned up into the road and could see there was a severe fire.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Every bedroom window was ablaze upstairs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03There was a large hole in the roof.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Two and two together - lightning strike. Hit the chimney stack.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Caused a large fire in that house.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29'The girls watch in horror as everything they own burns.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32'Julie frantically calls her husband to tell him.'
0:14:32 > 0:14:37I said, "You need to get home. The house is on fire."
0:14:37 > 0:14:40He didn't ask any questions.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45I was running out the door. I didn't ask if everybody was OK.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49"I'm five minutes from home and what am I going to find?"
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'With gale force winds fanning the blaze,
0:15:01 > 0:15:07'it takes three and a half hours and five crews to put out the inferno.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:14I was thinking, "Everything's in there.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20"All our documents, everything is going to be burned. Everything. Where do we start?"
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Afterwards it dawns on you. What are you going to do?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30'There are things you can do to protect your home and family
0:15:30 > 0:15:32'from an electrical storm.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37'Lightning strikes the highest point in a given area.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'Commercial buildings often have lightning conductors.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'They aren't usually necessary for private homes.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:48It's very, very rare that lightning strikes your house.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50If you are worried,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54our advice would be, if there's a storm coming or whatever,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59disconnect electrical appliances, especially your TV aerial.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05If you've got a booster in the loft, disconnect that. Electric showers, that sort of stuff, unplug.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09The lightning will travel down metal.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16'Coming up, the Day family face homelessness.'
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Where are we going to stay? What are we going to wear?
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'And the hunt is on for a missing member of the family.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:39'In 1988, Josie and Colin Arnold bought a fantastic clifftop property on the east Yorkshire coast,
0:16:39 > 0:16:44'where they started a caravan park and campsite for holiday makers.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50'Everything had been going fantastically well,
0:16:50 > 0:16:56'when a storm unlike any they'd ever seen hit on New Year's Day 1996.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03'The following day, the Arnolds couldn't believe their eyes.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07'Their house was once 100 feet from the cliff edge.
0:17:07 > 0:17:14'Now, 80 feet of their land had collapsed into the sea overnight.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:26The camping site had gone.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It wasn't damaged. It had disappeared.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39There was just no back garden.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It had taken the fences, plants.
0:17:42 > 0:17:48All that was left was the toilet block and about 20 foot of land.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'That wasn't even the worst of it.'
0:17:53 > 0:17:55When the storm hit,
0:17:55 > 0:18:03it hit the wall so hard that it had caused massive cracks in the house.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The vibration... Cos the house literally jumped.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11It cracked the walls so badly. It was unbelievable.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15'Once, the North Sea seemed a comfortable distance away.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20'With 20 feet between themselves and the cliff, it was dangerously close.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'Anyone else would have packed up.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:28Sitting here listening to this, I'm imagining how one would react.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I suppose, faced with that kind of disaster,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36you have to get on with it, is that the case?
0:18:36 > 0:18:41When you get up next morning and the sea's flat, which it always is,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44no-one would believe it had happened.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- What DO you do? - We'd put too much into the place.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54There was no way we were going to leave. You clean up and start again.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00'In the wake of the destruction, Josie and Colin patched up the walls
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'and continued to live in the house.
0:19:03 > 0:19:09'The camping field was too damaged to keep open and they had to shut the cafe.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13'The business they'd built up was ruined by one storm.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16'Only the caravan site survived.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21'With huge chunks of their land disappearing into the sea,
0:19:21 > 0:19:26'the couple learned to keep a watch on the weather and the tides.'
0:19:26 > 0:19:29We have a tide table on the wall,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32so that we know when the tide's coming.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36You do keep an eye out, listen to all the weather forecasts.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41'You can imagine the Arnolds' horror
0:19:41 > 0:19:46'when they saw a huge storm building out at sea on March 17 2007.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:50If that was me,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I would be running as fast as I can. What did you do?
0:19:54 > 0:19:59What we do in a storm is cook a meal, half a dozen bottles of wine,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02shut yourself in the dining room,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07then when it's all over, go outside and see what's happened!
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- A real Blitz attitude! - It's the only way.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15There's nothing you can actually do about it when it is blowing.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22'Josie and Colins' Blitz spirit had got them through previous storms
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'but the weather was to prove more violent and long-lasting
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'than anything they'd ever seen.'
0:20:38 > 0:20:40It just had everything together.
0:20:40 > 0:20:46It had a northeasterly wind, a howling gale, snow, hailstones.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48This time, all of us were frightened.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00'The Arnolds knew that the 4am tide was due to be the highest.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'So they stayed up to wait it out.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:07It's so noisy, you wouldn't sleep anyway.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09The wind screams.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Then you've got the sea banging
0:21:13 > 0:21:20and water coming over the top of you so it's a very noisy job altogether.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23So you don't sleep. No.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'Normally, storms blow in and out,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'but this one just kept building for three more days.'
0:21:37 > 0:21:40The sea came over the top.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It was like being a surfer inside the wave.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48It was a wall of brown water going over the top of the house.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58They have such force, waves,
0:21:58 > 0:22:04that it could, literally, pull the house down around you.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08If it had destroyed the building while we were inside
0:22:08 > 0:22:13the backwash would have taken us to sea, straight over the cliff.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21I was afraid that time. It still worries me, even now.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'Eventually, the weather became calm again, as it always does.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39'That's when they discovered what had happened.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It lasted four days, eight tides.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Eight consecutive batterings. It never stood a chance.
0:22:45 > 0:22:52We went into the house to see what the damage was. We opened...
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Well, the back door was hanging off its hinges.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00We went to see what the situation was there
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and there was just space.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05All the land there had gone.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08And underneath the house as well.
0:23:10 > 0:23:17'The pounding of the waves against the cliff, combined with heavy rains had caused a landslide.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'Their home, once 100 feet from the edge,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'was now threatening to fall onto the beach.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:27That sounds terrifying.
0:23:27 > 0:23:34When you did wake up and you had nothing left out the front, what conversation went on?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36What did you plan?
0:23:36 > 0:23:41We did realise straight away that it was probably a matter of demolition.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45There was no way we could save it this time.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51'The sea had stolen Josie and Colin's remaining 20 feet of land.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55'The waves had flooded the ground floor,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00'breaking windows and soaking the walls they had lovingly refurbished.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05'The council condemned the house for health and safety reasons.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11'The Arnolds had to demolish most of the house. It was a real tragedy.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17'Now they're living in a mobile home on what's left of the caravan site.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22'They took me to see the ruins of their 150-year-old farmhouse.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Oh, my goodness!
0:24:25 > 0:24:26What was this?
0:24:26 > 0:24:32- The kitchen.- Course. You can see the kitchen tiles.- Still there.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'Where Josie cooked many a family meal
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'is now exposed to the elements.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:43- What was here?- There was a porch on the front of it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46A wooden sun room built on.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52Beyond that, the garden, then the road they used to drive round.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- You would look out of this window onto your porch?- Yeah.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And the garden.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03What's this on the wall here? This is beautiful.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08We had them on the wall, birds and all sorts. It all came off.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11It's beautiful.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16'All that's left of the living room where they gathered is bricks.'
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The huge fireplace. You can see the hearth we built.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- That was your fireplace!- Yeah.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27- Used to grow some nice grapes here. - Did you?- Yeah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30The most upsetting part is when we cut the grass.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34The garden was so beautiful.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39You miss that, more than anything else, really.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45- Do you ever come here?- No.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48We come here and we keep the grass cut.
0:25:48 > 0:25:54- But too many memories this side. - We get a bit upset when we come.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- How does it leave you feeling when you come through?- Sad.
0:26:03 > 0:26:09'There are things you can do to avoid purchasing a home at risk.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13'Miles and miles of UK coastline are eroding,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16'being eaten away by the sea.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19'This has been happening for centuries
0:26:19 > 0:26:25'but now seems to be speeding up on some sections of coastline.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30'Buying a house on the coast can be a massive gamble.'
0:26:30 > 0:26:35The risks of buying a house on the fastest eroding coastline in Europe,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39make sure you know what you're buying.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42People have been sold properties at exorbitant prices,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47where local people knew they would have problems within a few years.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51How you get about it if you're considering living on the coast,
0:26:51 > 0:26:57make sure that you talk to locals before you buy anything.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Find out the history, what the parish council knows.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Go to the local pub, the local shop and talk to people.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Don't take on face value, what you get in your Home Information Pack.
0:27:10 > 0:27:17Chat to the locals. They have that knowledge to tell you if it's the place you want to live.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19'Coming up on Living Dangerously,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23'the Arnolds may be down but they're not out.
0:27:23 > 0:27:29'This family picks itself up and starts again with a new business.'
0:27:29 > 0:27:31We sell doughnuts now.
0:27:31 > 0:27:37'And I knock on the council's door to find out if there's hope of compensation.'
0:27:40 > 0:27:46'The Days - Pete, Julie and their three girls - live in Poole in Dorset.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51'Life was a whirlwind of meal times, chores and socialising,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55'until disaster struck and their semi was hit by lightning
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'during a massive thunderstorm.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06'It took five fire crews working non-stop for three and a half hours
0:28:06 > 0:28:09'to get the blaze under control.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13'The house was a burnt-out shell, leaving the Days homeless.'
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Me and Pete were broken, basically.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22We had to keep it together for the girls. They were in such a state.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24They'd lost everything.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27We haven't got any family down here.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31They live in London. So where were we going to stay?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34What were we going to wear?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Everything was racing through my mind.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40That made me more upset.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I didn't really know what to do.
0:28:42 > 0:28:48'The family had lost all their possessions, from furniture
0:28:48 > 0:28:51'to irreplaceable family mementos.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:54I'd done them all a special box each,
0:28:54 > 0:28:59which were up in the loft, and it had everything in there.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02They had special books from when they were born,
0:29:02 > 0:29:08where I'd stuck their first tooth that had come out.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Everything, basically.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14It was for them when they were older and it had all gone. Everything.
0:29:14 > 0:29:21'Losing priceless belongings was bad enough, but it got worse.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28'They'd had to abandon their beloved pet in the burning house.'
0:29:28 > 0:29:31I thought the cat had died, to be honest.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34But you can't tell children that.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37You have to sort of try and give them the...
0:29:37 > 0:29:42"It's going to be OK. We'll get Jake back. Everything will be OK."
0:29:42 > 0:29:46'There was no way Julie was going to give up on Jake
0:29:46 > 0:29:51'without checking the house one more time.'
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Mum went in the garden of the burnt house and started calling him.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00- And he actually came back. - She came out with him in her arms.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04So I ran up to her and grabbed him.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08When I found Jake in the evening after the fire had been put out
0:30:08 > 0:30:11he had all black round his nostrils
0:30:11 > 0:30:15where he'd been shut in the house and inhaled so much smoke.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21'Finding Jake was an enormous relief,
0:30:21 > 0:30:28'but with so much destroyed, Julie and Pete found themselves overwhelmed by problems.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34'Their home was a burnt-out shell, the roof gone, the bedrooms charred,
0:30:34 > 0:30:39'and the lower floor damaged by the water used to put out the fire.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42'The lightning's 300,000 volts
0:30:42 > 0:30:47'left a huge scorch mark on the outside of the house.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54'They needed to find a place to live and the basics to kit it out.
0:30:57 > 0:31:03'The local newspaper ran an appeal. The response was unbelievable.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:12The paper, the Echo, did a scoop and ran an appeal for my family.
0:31:12 > 0:31:19We were homeless and they did a four-day scoop on the fire
0:31:19 > 0:31:21for myself and my neighbours.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24The response was just phenomenal.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27We had hundreds of phone calls, literally.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32Pete's mobile didn't stop for that week we were staying with friends,
0:31:32 > 0:31:37wanting to donate anything from bedding, clothing for the children,
0:31:37 > 0:31:43TVs, everything, basically, that we'd lost, people were offering.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46'But having the basics was only the start.
0:31:46 > 0:31:52'The family stayed in rental accommodation while they sorted out the house insurance.
0:31:52 > 0:31:59'Like many, the Days paid their premiums year after year, assuming that they were adequately covered.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04'Pete had gone on a cost comparison site to find the best priced option.
0:32:04 > 0:32:11'But he and Julie discovered their policy didn't cover quite what they thought it did.'
0:32:11 > 0:32:15We were covered for up to 150,000 on our buildings,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19which we were told was adequate insurance.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23We thought, "That's good. We've got enough insurance."
0:32:23 > 0:32:28That was one thing we didn't think we'd have to worry about.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32It wasn't till the building quotes started coming in
0:32:32 > 0:32:35that we realised there may be a problem.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The quotes were coming in higher than we were covered for.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44I was a nervous wreck for the next three or four months, literally.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46My head wasn't together at all.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52'Eventually, Pete found a project manager
0:32:52 > 0:32:56'willing to take on the work for the amount the insurance would pay out.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59'He learned an important lesson.'
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I'm a family man.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Every month I try to keep my expenses, my pay-out down.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10Obviously, I went for a cheaper option on insurance.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Cheapest is not always the best.
0:33:13 > 0:33:21From now on, I will rather pay out that extra few pounds a month on insurance. Peace of mind.
0:33:21 > 0:33:28'It's been eight months and the family's itching to get out of rental accommodation.'
0:33:28 > 0:33:31It's not home and we want to get home,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34get the girls back to normality.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40I'll hold the box. You tape.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45'The Days are finally moving back to their refurbished house.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47'Everyone is excited.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52'Which explains why Jodie and Shannon are so eager to help.'
0:33:52 > 0:33:57You hear about lightning striking properties, trees and things.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01You just never would think it would happen.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06This has been the biggest life-changing experience we've had.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11'Only a few months ago, the home looked fit for the wrecking ball,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15'with no roof and every room damaged beyond recognition.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20'The scene was so shocking that the insurance surveyor thought initially
0:34:20 > 0:34:24'that it might be better to knock down than rebuild.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29'But the work's completed and the house transformed.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33'The family can't believe how far they've come.'
0:34:33 > 0:34:36This room was totally... It wasn't burnt,
0:34:36 > 0:34:41but it was water damaged, ceilings down, plaster off the walls
0:34:41 > 0:34:44so it's been completely redone.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49You could just see the sky out here.
0:34:49 > 0:34:56All the ceilings upstairs were on the landing where we're standing.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01All the rooms were burnt to a frazzle and had to be rebuilt,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03replastered, redecorated.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06It's looking good, nearly finished.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13This was the main room that was struck by lightning.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16The roof above us was actually struck
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and this ceiling here fell straight down to Jodie's bed.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Jodie's bed was here.
0:35:22 > 0:35:29The whole bed was covered with roof tiles and bits of roof.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- It's looking good. - 'The girls are happy.'
0:35:32 > 0:35:37'Shannon's ditched her pink decor for something more sophisticated.'
0:35:37 > 0:35:41I like my new room. It's much more grown up.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43I like the colours better.
0:35:43 > 0:35:49'Jodie has traded her small bedroom for a gigantic loft extension.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53'A few months ago, this was open to the sky.'
0:35:53 > 0:35:58I love it. It's a lot different to my old room. My old room was pink.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03I've still got my bathroom pink, and it's a lot bigger. I'm happy.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07'Exhausted by the strain of the past months,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10'Julie and Pete are relieved to have the ordeal finished.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:15It feels like being home again. It's been a long time coming.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19- The next few weeks will be busy. - Yeah, unpacking.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22- We can do it in our own time.- Yeah.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24CORK POPS
0:36:24 > 0:36:29'After all the Days have been through, it's time to celebrate.'
0:36:29 > 0:36:30Cheers!
0:36:30 > 0:36:34'There's no question that this has left an impression.'
0:36:34 > 0:36:38'We've been struck now and it would be very unfortunate'
0:36:38 > 0:36:40to be struck again!
0:36:40 > 0:36:45It's always in the back of your mind, every time we have a storm.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49I always found that we were lucky, before this.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52It's opened my eyes a little bit
0:36:52 > 0:36:56and I'm a bit more apprehensive when there's storms, yeah.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00'The Days are thrilled to be back home
0:37:00 > 0:37:04'and, with any luck, lightning won't strike twice.'
0:37:08 > 0:37:13'Josie and Colin Arnold's life was devastated in 2007,
0:37:13 > 0:37:19'when a huge storm left their seaside home dangling over a cliff.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23'The house was condemned and they had to pull most of it down
0:37:23 > 0:37:25'to prevent it falling.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29'And the insurance they paid for 20 years
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'didn't pay out for coastal erosion.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36'Resourceful and determined to stay on their land,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41'the Arnolds now live in a mobile home they purchased on the internet.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44'It's a far cry from their farmhouse but it's cosy
0:37:44 > 0:37:49'and allows them to stay exactly where they want to be, by the sea.'
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- What keeps you here? - We just love it here.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56We've been here so long, 20 years.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01- It's the longest we've been anywhere.- Yes.- We don't want to go.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03By about 17 years, I think.
0:38:03 > 0:38:09I say that we'll put this into the middle of the road rather than go.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11It's on wheels, so we can.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13LAUGHTER
0:38:13 > 0:38:16There's always a next step.
0:38:16 > 0:38:22I told the council that while there's width for a campervan, I'll stay here.
0:38:22 > 0:38:28'As a result of two horrible storms, Josie and Colin lost their home
0:38:28 > 0:38:31'and a £16,000 per year business.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36'The situation, though extreme, is not an isolated one.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40'17% of the UK coastline is disappearing,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44'posing a problem for many home owners.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49'The council is fighting to help the Arnolds rebuild their lives.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54'I set up a meeting with councillor Jane Everson to find out more.'
0:38:54 > 0:38:57They thought they had 40 or 50 years.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02They genuinely did, and they had every right to expect that.
0:39:02 > 0:39:08I'd heard it said, "If people buy houses on the clifftop, what do they expect?" Well, they didn't.
0:39:08 > 0:39:14They bought a farmhouse that was inland, and started a business,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18expecting to see their working life out on that piece of land.
0:39:18 > 0:39:24The acceleration of erosion has been extraordinary over the last two years.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29'It used to be the case that the government advocated sea defences
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'to protect at-risk shoreline.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35'Recent policy recommends letting nature take its course.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40'This puts homeowners in a difficult position,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44'particularly when insurance often won't pay out
0:39:44 > 0:39:47'and their homes have lost their value.'
0:39:47 > 0:39:51We say to government, "You won't let anybody defend property.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55"You won't let any defences take place."
0:39:55 > 0:39:57There's an argument that says
0:39:57 > 0:40:01if you won't let anybody defend their homes,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04they've got to watch them be washed away,
0:40:04 > 0:40:09surely there's an argument for these people caught in the middle
0:40:09 > 0:40:14that there should be a package, ideally some sort of compensation?
0:40:14 > 0:40:18What could be the best case scenario for the Arnolds?
0:40:18 > 0:40:23Well, in a perfect world, we get some compensation for them,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27and another piece of land somewhere along the coastline
0:40:27 > 0:40:30that they can move their mobile home on to.
0:40:30 > 0:40:36They would be happy for the rest of their lives. They're not asking for a lot.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38They just got caught out.
0:40:38 > 0:40:44- Fingers crossed for the Arnolds. They're lovely people.- Absolutely.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52'Whatever the future holds,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56'Josie and Colin haven't given up.'
0:41:00 > 0:41:02There you go, my lovely.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03Thank you.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07'They've risen to the challenge and got a new business
0:41:07 > 0:41:11'at Skirlington market, a thriving Sunday market
0:41:11 > 0:41:14'with over 350 indoor and outdoor stalls.'
0:41:14 > 0:41:17We sell doughnuts for a living now.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22Not a big income, but it's OK. It keeps the wolf from the door.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26SHE HUMS
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I sing whatever comes into my head.
0:41:29 > 0:41:35'This new enterprise is testament to the Arnolds' canny ability to adapt.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39'And, between you and me, it's also a way for Josie to show off
0:41:39 > 0:41:42'her considerable talents as a baker.'
0:41:42 > 0:41:45There you go, pet. Thank you.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47'With the queues to prove it!
0:41:47 > 0:41:52'Happy as she is, Cliff Farm is never far from her thoughts.'
0:41:52 > 0:41:55It's become a special place.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59If anybody said to me, "Would you do it again?" Yes.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03'She and Colin aren't moving any time soon.'
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Cheers. Cheers.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12We can certainly hold out for the couple of years we've got left.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18Might be longer or shorter, but we'll still be here, for sure.
0:42:21 > 0:42:27Join us next time for more amazing stories on Living Dangerously.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd