0:00:02 > 0:00:05The British weather is a constant topic of conversation.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Often unpredictable, it's now having an even bigger effect on our lives.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Dangerous floods threaten our homes, forest fires devastate our
0:00:13 > 0:00:18countryside and savage storms ravage our coastlines.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Today, we find out what happens to Britain
0:00:21 > 0:00:23when it's hit by freak weather.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27We see the stories of people's lives
0:00:27 > 0:00:31who have been turned upside down by the totally unexpected.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And we show you how to protect yourself,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40your home and your loved ones from disaster.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Welcome to Living Dangerously.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51We've all seen the horrendous headlines of hurricanes,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53flooding and storm damage.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56What's it really like when extreme weather wrecks your life?
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Well, today, we hear two true
0:00:58 > 0:01:01stories of catastrophe and survival.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Coming up on Living Dangerously, a vicious Atlantic storm causes
0:01:06 > 0:01:10the worst floods in living memory in a vulnerable West Sussex town.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12There was nothing to be done.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16It rapidly became obvious there was no defence against it.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And the heaviest rains in Scotland for 30 years
0:01:19 > 0:01:21lead to dangerous landslides,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25leaving motorists stranded at a Highland beauty spot.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29I've never ever witnessed a flood and rain of such intensity
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and so many landslides occurring at one time.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35With home video, actual footage and reconstruction,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39we show what happened during these real life weather events.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Set on the south coast of West Sussex,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54the seaside town of Selsey has been a popular holiday destination
0:01:54 > 0:01:56for many families since the 1930s.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Whilst the British weather doesn't always guarantee
0:02:00 > 0:02:05blue skies and sunshine, in the summer Selsey's numbers double
0:02:05 > 0:02:09as holidaymakers descend on its guest houses and giant caravan park,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12just a stone's throw from the beach.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17This summer resort is also home to Roger Butlin and his daughter, Amy,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and where their family have held strong roots for almost 40 years.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24My family were travelling show people.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26My father wanted a more settled life,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30so he came along to Selsey and set up a small funfair on the seafront.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Along with the community spirit and the atmosphere in Selsey,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36it was an ideal place to come and live.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Whilst his brother ran the family funfair,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Roger continued in the entertainment vein,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47taking over a local bar and club 15 years ago.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Set within the huge caravan park,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55the club's attracted locals and holidaymakers alike,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58who came down in large numbers to party the night away.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But these halcyon days were numbered.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07In March 2008, Selsey was to experience a storm
0:03:07 > 0:03:09of such great magnitude,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13it would mean lives would never be the same again.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19So I'm meeting Roger, who lives next door to his daughter, Amy,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21to find out exactly what happened.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Hi, Roger?- Hello.- Nadia.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Nice to meet you. Come on in.- Thank you.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Ah, this is lovely. And a beautiful day. Which side is Amy?
0:03:32 > 0:03:38Actually it's on this side, so we're adjoining with a gate.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- Oh, look! Lovely.- So there's no problems for the wedding
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- and the barbies and all the things we do.- Oh, lovely!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- We're very close, my daughter and I. - You'd need to be.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- So you and Amy worked together at the Windmill?- Oh, yes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54She was basically brought up there. She was an asset to the business.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57She was able to be carried around while we were doing
0:03:57 > 0:04:00the prize bingo on the mike, bits and pieces like that.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04So, yes, she grew up in the business. We work together very well, actually.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09When I left school, I decided to help my father out in the clubs.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I started from helping him with bingo tickets, change,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15to being in the arcade, to the prize bingos.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And then, eventually, I was 18 and I was allowed to work in the bar.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21And I think us being there helped everyone get together
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and it was a good place for them to meet up and have a good time.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31But while Roger's social clubs lay at the heart of the local community,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34there was always an underlining threat from Britain's
0:04:34 > 0:04:36unpredictable weather hanging over them.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Selsey has historically suffered from coastal erosion and it lies
0:04:40 > 0:04:45below sea level, making it doubly vulnerable to flooding.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Over the years, sea defences have been built and the beach's
0:04:48 > 0:04:53shingle bank is regularly replenished to act as a buffer,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57stopping the sea from taking over the low lying town.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00But these reinforcements haven't been invincible.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05Storms have reached the defences a number of times in recent years.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10So while flooding isn't unusual for locals, nothing could prepare them
0:05:10 > 0:05:14for the vicious storm that hit the coastal town,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17causing the worst floods for 75 years.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I'm sorry to do this to you, Roger, but I'm going to have
0:05:20 > 0:05:24to take you back to March 2008 and the dreadful storm that hit Selsey.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28The evening before the storm, of course, we'd opened the clubs
0:05:28 > 0:05:32in the normal way and, erm, we'd closed around 11-ish.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36And there was a brisk wind going on, which you're quite used to
0:05:36 > 0:05:40on the coast. It does blow, obviously, being so near the sea.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Roger left the club and drove five minutes inland to his home.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48He went to bed after midnight, just as winds started blowing in
0:05:48 > 0:05:52from the southwest and rain set in as a deep depression from
0:05:52 > 0:05:57the Atlantic began to move in on the West Sussex town.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01During the night it definitely increased. You could hear
0:06:01 > 0:06:05the wind rattling the windows almost, although the house is double glazed.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It was really blowing quite badly and the sea
0:06:10 > 0:06:13was coming over the shingle bank.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17As the storm increased, people across Selsey were worrying
0:06:17 > 0:06:20about their homes, but for Roger even more was at stake.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Though his house was safe some distance inland,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25his livelihood hung in the balance.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29The social club he owned and which provided his family with a living
0:06:29 > 0:06:32was in an incredibly exposed position,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34just a few hundred yards from the seafront.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36During the night you have the anxieties about
0:06:36 > 0:06:40the building and the structures. One part of the building's quite
0:06:40 > 0:06:43modern and the other part's been there certainly since the war.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And it's a flat roof building,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49so you worry about flat roofs being torn off and things.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53We had a tornado a few years ago, which went through Selsey,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and literally did rip off roof tops. So you began to worry whether
0:06:57 > 0:07:00this was something which would have that type of effect.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05But by the early hours Selsey was a weather war zone.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10The Atlantic storm had developed in ferocity, with winds hitting 70mph,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12causing sea swells of over three feet
0:07:12 > 0:07:15that breached Selsey's sea defences.
0:07:18 > 0:07:2120 foot waves crashed on to the shingle beach,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24showering properties not far from Roger's social club.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29The people of Selsey were having to batten down the hatches
0:07:29 > 0:07:32as they braced themselves for an almighty battle
0:07:32 > 0:07:36against the raging elements. But this was just the beginning
0:07:36 > 0:07:40of the devastation the mighty force of nature can inflict.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It was apparent that this was a really exceptional occurrence.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45This wasn't just normal storms.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49This was something additional to that.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The combination of the high spring tides as well as this
0:07:57 > 0:08:01crush of water which was coming off the Atlantic,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04pushed by this huge storm going on in the Atlantic.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09We began to get worried that this was something unusual,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13something above the normal events which we're used to in Selsey.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Coming up later on Living Dangerously,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Roger's worst fears are realised as he faces a battle to save his club.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It was too much water, too much pressure going on.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32So it rapidly became obvious there was no defence against it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Set between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands in Perthshire
0:08:43 > 0:08:47are the Trossachs, known as the Highlands in miniature.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51This awesome landscape is defined by its many lakes and valleys.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55It's also home to Glen Ogle, a steep sided valley popular
0:08:55 > 0:08:59with hikers because of its dramatic views and nearby Loch Earn,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05beloved of fishermen who come here to catch its fine trout and salmon.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10A place locals, like Stuart "Tipper" Webster, are extremely proud of.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Best place in the world. It's absolutely magic.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16No doubt whatsoever. I wouldn't move anywhere else.
0:09:16 > 0:09:23It's scenery, fishing. It's just everything. Wild life everywhere.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28I walk up the road every morning at half past five with my dog
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and you see everything from rabbits to deer, everything.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36But with this beauty comes danger. The weather in Glen Ogle
0:09:36 > 0:09:40can be every bit as dramatic as its scenery.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Heavy rain often turns the sheer valley sides
0:09:43 > 0:09:47into a dangerous landscape at risk of landslides.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And with one of Scotland's major highways
0:09:49 > 0:09:51cutting through this stunning pass,
0:09:51 > 0:09:56it's a valley all too familiar to the mountain rescue team.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Glen Ogle area's pretty rugged.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02One of the best descriptions I've ever seen about it was
0:10:02 > 0:10:03likened to the Kyber Pass
0:10:03 > 0:10:07and what with the steep crags on each side and the road
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and the old railway winding through it,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14it must be one of the most spectacular passes in Scotland.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19But on August 18th, 2004, it wasn't the spectacular scenery that would
0:10:19 > 0:10:24attract the world's attention. Glen Ogle was about to suffer
0:10:24 > 0:10:27the worst rainfall in Scotland for 30 years.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29First thing that morning,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Michael was helping out as a dog handler on a local grouse shoot.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40Weather started off not too bad in the morning and got sort of
0:10:40 > 0:10:44very humid in the afternoon and thunderstorms started building.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And the views, we can see into all the different glens from this area.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52You could see thunderstorms building up in the glens and they all seemed
0:10:52 > 0:10:56to be heading towards us from different directions.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And the atmosphere was feeling,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03well, feeling electric and getting quite tense.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10The event was called off around three pm and so Michael headed on
0:11:10 > 0:11:12the A85 towards the Glen Ogle pass.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17The heavens opened up. 6cm of rain were to fall in just two hours and
0:11:17 > 0:11:22it didn't take long for rainwater to come gushing down the hills.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Water was starting to come from everywhere
0:11:25 > 0:11:28where water doesn't normally come from.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33And then coming round at the top to Glen Ogle to find cars stuck
0:11:33 > 0:11:36in a flood at the top, blocking the road completely,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40you started to feel something wasn't going quite right.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Just ahead of Michael, council worker Tipper Webster
0:11:47 > 0:11:50was travelling on the same stretch of road.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52While he was used to seeing floods in this area,
0:11:52 > 0:11:58nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to come across.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00It was torrential rain.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Just never let up at all.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Kevin McKenzie and I were sent up
0:12:04 > 0:12:06some time in the afternoon,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10about the middle of the afternoon, to put up the flood signs.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14But when we got there, there was rubble across the road.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20It was just a mini thing,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23but it was bad enough that cars could nae cross it.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I came out the van after I parked it across the road to go and
0:12:26 > 0:12:28warn people to stay where they were.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Mini-landslides were falling all along the Glen Ogle pass.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37In front of Tipper, 30 cars were blocked by falling debris,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39caused by the sheer weight of water.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42He'd already parked and was out of his truck,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46warning other motorists coming up behind of the potential danger.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Meanwhile, half a mile further back, Michael Holliday was helping
0:12:52 > 0:12:56drivers caught up by the flooding on the same road and he heard news
0:12:56 > 0:13:00that there was even more trouble up ahead.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Talking to one of the drivers who had just come up
0:13:03 > 0:13:07the hill from Lochearnhead, telling me to be careful going down as there
0:13:07 > 0:13:11was water and stones now running down the road in Glen Ogle.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The extent of the damage the extreme weather was causing
0:13:15 > 0:13:18was all too obvious around the Glen Ogle area.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24Rivers had now burst their banks and roads were being washed away.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27With the weather showing no sign of stopping,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Tipper feared a much bigger landslide.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35I parked my vehicle right across the road so's nobody could come down.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It just blocked the road.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42And then I walked about 20 yards and heard the rumble.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45And I turned round and then the big one happened.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It was thousands of tonnes of stuff.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52And that came down in less than a minute.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56The noise was horrendous.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01It just, oh, it just tore down right across the road
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and my poor pick-up disappeared over the edge.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Must have been about 40ft down the banking. Just mangled.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I've never seen anything like in my life and I was
0:14:13 > 0:14:16at two other landslides, but it was nothing like that one.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It was just absolutely horrendous.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20At the same time,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23having driven through the flood in his four-by-four,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Michael got to the Glen Ogle pass as the huge landslide
0:14:27 > 0:14:30started sliding across the road in front of him.
0:14:30 > 0:14:36The road was completely blocked and a big mass of mud and rocks and water
0:14:36 > 0:14:39all moving down across the road and down into the bottom of the glen,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43and carrying along with it the yellow council truck
0:14:43 > 0:14:46with the orange lights still flashing.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54My original reaction when I saw the truck heading off down the hill was,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56"I wonder if there's anybody in it?"
0:14:56 > 0:14:59The windows were closed and worrying whether
0:14:59 > 0:15:01it was actually going to get buried.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Would it roll over? Would something else happen to it,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07as opposed to it just sliding down with the mud flow?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And at that time I was thinking, "How the hell are we going
0:15:10 > 0:15:14"to get down there and find out whether there's anybody in it?"
0:15:15 > 0:15:21Michael's rescue instinct kicked in. With total disregard for his safety,
0:15:21 > 0:15:26he plunged into the slipping mud to check if anyone was in the van.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28It was up to the knees and really grabbing
0:15:28 > 0:15:32at your legs and still moving. I managed to climb into
0:15:32 > 0:15:35the back of the truck and got no response from the truck,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39but I couldn't even see through the windows. So I managed to find
0:15:39 > 0:15:44some of the tools in the back and put a pickaxe through the window and
0:15:44 > 0:15:48then saw that the truck was empty, except for newspapers and sandwiches.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Tipper had got out of his van in the nick of time.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55To see my vehicle getting swept away,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58it was like a matchbox getting swept away.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I'm just glad I wasnae in it, I tell you.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Just the power of that lot coming down, it just floated away.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12And people are gasping, cos they didnae know that we were the driver.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16For Tipper, it was an extremely lucky escape,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19but not for the van.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It was a total write off.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I'm just glad I wasnae in it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29But the drama didn't end there. 20 vehicles and 57 people were
0:16:29 > 0:16:32now trapped on the mountainside with no way out.
0:16:32 > 0:16:39This line of cars and buses was completely stranded now between two
0:16:39 > 0:16:41landslides with the possibility of other landslides
0:16:41 > 0:16:43occurring in between.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Coming up later on Living Dangerously,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51as the heavy downpour over Glen Ogle showed no sign of abating,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55the fate of the stranded motorists hung in the balance.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59My biggest concern was to get these people to safety,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03cos nobody could get through to us, other than with a helicopter.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Back in Selsey, West Sussex, on the night of March 9th, 2008,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19a vicious Atlantic storm wreaked havoc on the residents
0:17:19 > 0:17:21of the low lying, seaside town.
0:17:21 > 0:17:28Heavy rain combined with 70mph gales whipped up 20ft waves that smashed
0:17:28 > 0:17:32in the coastline and breached sea defences.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39It was a sleepless night for Selsey residents, including Roger Butlin.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42You could hear the wind rattling the windows.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46It was apparent that this was a really exceptional occurrence.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48This wasn't just normal storms.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57The next morning, the storm was still going strong when Selsey
0:17:57 > 0:17:59awoke to find parts of the town
0:17:59 > 0:18:03engulfed in a foot of floodwater after 800 metres of the shingle
0:18:03 > 0:18:06beach had been washed away. As early as he could,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Roger and his daughter, Amy, who was six months pregnant at the time,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13headed for the seafront to check on their club.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18We had the feeling that the main storm had passed.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We went down to work and started getting the club ready.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24On the way there was puddles and bits and pieces
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and the wind was very strong.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30When they got to the club, all seemed fine.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32But two hours later,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35the Atlantic storm ambushing Selsey began to change.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39The rain subsided, but gales continued to batter the town.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44Up the road at the giant caravan park overlooking the beach,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and home to Roger's family funfair for the past 40 years,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51the next battle with the elements was about to begin.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56Well, my brother phoned me, saying he needed help urgently because
0:18:56 > 0:19:00this huge swell had come in, this water had come over,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and it was starting to damage his equipment on his funfair.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06So we had to go and then help him.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And I was astounded that the water was there.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And how were you feeling at this point?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Was there any grave concerns?
0:19:16 > 0:19:17To be absolutely honest, no.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23I have to say no, because I know his premises is quite low.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25But as the time went on...
0:19:25 > 0:19:26two to three hours later...
0:19:26 > 0:19:29the water got to four foot deep.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Gale force winds continued to assault the Selsey coastline.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39With the beach washed away and huge waves overpowering sea defences,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43at around lunchtime, the town's caravan site that has
0:19:43 > 0:19:47over 2,000 mobile homes was taken over by the sea,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51leaving some 30 caravaners marooned.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The major emergency service that could come to the rescue
0:19:56 > 0:20:00was the Royal National Lifeboat Institution,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02who scrambled their boats.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07We made it through the floods, cos both the roads to access
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the caravan site were flooded
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and it was just total devastation.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Up to three to four foot of water.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20It's notorious down that end of Selsey for flooding, but this was particularly bad.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It was extremely violent weather.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23All the people were stuck in their caravans.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28That was the problem and there was no other way to evacuate them than by boat.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So that was the priority, to get the people out
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and up to dry land as quickly as possible,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36as we didn't know if it was going to deteriorate any more than that.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41While the RNLI worked hard to evacuate 30 people stranded
0:20:41 > 0:20:45in the caravan park, Roger had been helping his brother
0:20:45 > 0:20:48salvage what they could of the family funfair.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54At 2pm, he finally got back to his pregnant daughter, Amy, who was waiting for him at the social club.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Overhead, the sky was clearing.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02The rain had stopped, but the 70mph winds refused to let up.
0:21:02 > 0:21:09Roger was exhausted but confident they were far enough inland to escape the floodwaters.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Then suddenly, all hell broke lose.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14As soon as my father arrived,
0:21:14 > 0:21:20we saw that the water was actually breaking from right at the back.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29Amy captured on her mobile phone the moments her dad tried to battle against the raging force.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34I went round the back of the club, which is the side nearest the sea,
0:21:34 > 0:21:40and from that direction came this swell of water, which was...
0:21:40 > 0:21:45I can't say it was a tidal wave, exactly, but a huge rush of water,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47which hit the back wall of the club
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and then started to flow at a tremendous rate of knots.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Roger attempted to stave off the flood, but it was hopeless,
0:21:54 > 0:21:59so he made his way back into the club to save what he could.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03How were you reacting to each other? Was there panic?
0:22:03 > 0:22:09Well, initially, I thought that it was just again a flood, but I've never seen water like this before.
0:22:09 > 0:22:16And once we'd sand-bagged up as much as we could and then put bits of carpet and stuff by the door,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19suffered it as much as we could for around an hour or so.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22We definitely tried to resist it.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24We moved what we could.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25We turned the electric off.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27That type of thing.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30But then it became pretty apparent around, say 3, 3:30,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34an hour or so later, that there was nothing more you could do.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Things were floating...
0:22:36 > 0:22:37Terrifying!
0:22:37 > 0:22:42- Absolutely.- You must have felt so sad looking at the devastation
0:22:42 > 0:22:46in this place that had been, you know, such a big part of your life.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Well, yes. And one of the funny things is, when we
0:22:49 > 0:22:53eventually paddled through the lower part of the flood, and the water
0:22:53 > 0:22:56had gone down to around a foot, that the dance floor was floating,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- which was astounding. - The whole floor was?
0:22:59 > 0:23:03The whole floor actually rose up, so as you walk over it,
0:23:03 > 0:23:08it's actually a wave because the sea pressure was so strong it lifted it up.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11After that, there was nothing to be done.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It was too much water, too much pressure going on.
0:23:14 > 0:23:21And sandbags maybe two to three bags high, but only around, say, 15 ins to 2 ft tall.
0:23:21 > 0:23:27The water was above that and it finds other nooks and crannies
0:23:27 > 0:23:31to creep in, other doorways you don't know, emergency doors you haven't allowed for.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36So it rapidly became obvious there was no defence against it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The floodwater poured into the club,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44reaching as high as 4 ft up the wall before settling at 2.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46You'd been in the water all that time.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49All that you'd been through that day.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51You must have been exhausted.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It's very difficult when something happens like this.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58You don't know
0:23:58 > 0:24:01whether to panic, run or what to do.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04It's really quite astounding, the emotions you go through.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11By the evening, more than a square mile of the caravan site had been
0:24:11 > 0:24:17submerged by the coastal flood, the worst to hit Selsey in 75 years.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21The storm-force winds continued as stranded caravaners took shelter
0:24:21 > 0:24:25in Roger's bar which, being slightly higher up than the social club,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27had so far escaped the flooding.
0:24:27 > 0:24:34But the water continued to rise and by now Roger was terribly worried about his pregnant daughter, Amy.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39He decided they should risk escaping on foot across the cliff top to the Coastguard station,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43where they could get picked up and then taken home to safety.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47The emergency service came along and started to...
0:24:47 > 0:24:52figure out ways of getting people up to perhaps Selsey town hall.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It was apparent they were having to wait for boats to come along
0:24:54 > 0:24:58to ferry people out, but that was slow in arriving.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02So I made a decision that if we go into the storm
0:25:02 > 0:25:06along the beach itself, on a sort of cliff top,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10to the Coastguard station, that should be passable.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14When we realised that was the only way... Obviously, the waves were getting quite high again,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16so it was very, very frightening.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The emergency service didn't want to allow us because they've actually
0:25:20 > 0:25:25yellow-taped it off as being too dangerous to go that way,
0:25:25 > 0:25:31but I felt that my daughter's needs were greater, and my judgment was sound.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Walking along the little, narrow track,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39which was literally a little, tiny track, was hairy in itself.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42It was all wet and it was only a mud track.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47And by then it started to get a bit dusky and a bit dark in the evening.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52And we had to cling on to each other quite a bit to get along, and I had
0:25:52 > 0:25:54to support her, cos it's quite a slippery track.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- How long did it take you? - Oh, five or ten minutes.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03It don't sound a long time, but it's quite a long time to do 500 yards.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08We managed to get to the Coastguard station in the end
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and my son-in-law, Darren, was there with his car.
0:26:11 > 0:26:19So we were able to come home and at least relax physically, if not mentally.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Coming up later on Living Dangerously... With Roger and his daughter, Amy, now safe
0:26:23 > 0:26:28from the flood, what hope was there for his popular social club?
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And it's a bit like the circus has left town. You can walk through there
0:26:31 > 0:26:35now and I can picture vividly all the activities going on...
0:26:35 > 0:26:40- It's so sad, isn't it?- Very difficult, yes. Very difficult.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50The deep-cut valley of Glen Ogle, located between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands,
0:26:50 > 0:26:56is a dramatic setting, typical of Scotland's stunning landscape.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02But this gorge was turned into a danger zone on August 18th, 2004,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06when persistent torrential rains had saturated the ground,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09leading to life-threatening landslides.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I've never ever witnessed a flood and rain of such intensity
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and so many landslides occur at one time.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Never seen landslides come down so far and carry on
0:27:22 > 0:27:27right into the bottom of the glen, carrying everything with them...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30trees, boulders, everything.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36Tipper Webster had narrowly escaped death when his truck was swept away after he stopped to help motorists.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39But the problem now was that there was some 57 people trapped
0:27:39 > 0:27:44on the road, cut off by landslides either end.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48My biggest concern was to get these people to safety,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51cos nobody could get through to us.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56If another landslide came, there was a possibility
0:27:56 > 0:28:01it could take people off the road, take their cars off the road.
0:28:01 > 0:28:08So it was imperative that somehow we managed to get people from these vehicles and it certainly wasn't safe
0:28:08 > 0:28:12for them to walk down into the bottom of the glen, because
0:28:12 > 0:28:16the burn in the bottom of the glen now was an absolute raging torrent.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19And even if it was only up to your knees,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22it would have taken everybody away with them.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27Meanwhile, Tipper's son, Darren Webster, a volunteer firefighter,
0:28:27 > 0:28:33got an ominous premonition when he saw the results of that day's heavy rains.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37The day the landslide happened, myself and Susan, my wife,
0:28:37 > 0:28:41were standing looking out the window, and it was just like
0:28:41 > 0:28:43a river going past the window.
0:28:43 > 0:28:49And I said to Susan that it's not going to be long before I get a call-out.
0:28:49 > 0:28:56And, literally, moments later, the pager went off and that was it, we were off.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Half an hour after the landslides began, the fire brigade were called
0:29:03 > 0:29:06to Glen Ogle to rescue the trapped motorists.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11But the downpour that had been battering the area all afternoon
0:29:11 > 0:29:16meant the firefighters were blocked halfway up the gorge by debris
0:29:16 > 0:29:18that had been washed down the mountain.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21We had to leave the appliance.
0:29:21 > 0:29:27We all took, like, shovels, spades, a first-aid kit, oxygen,
0:29:27 > 0:29:35and we all proceeded on foot up the hill for about another two and a half, three miles
0:29:35 > 0:29:37to where the landslide was.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42To add to the tension, the firefighters had been told that
0:29:42 > 0:29:45a van had been swept off the road,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49and had no idea whether anyone was still in it, dead or alive.
0:29:49 > 0:29:55It was certainly quite hard going up there, just knowing that it could be a local that's been swept away.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59You don't want to go to any accident, whether it be a stranger
0:29:59 > 0:30:04or a local, but knowing it's a local's sometimes a wee bit harder.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10But running up, my dad was running down and I could see he was quite kind of white.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14And when he said to me it was his truck, a wee shiver went down
0:30:14 > 0:30:17my spine, thinking, "It could have been you that was wiped out."
0:30:17 > 0:30:23But to actually see him OK was a big relief.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27But the drama wasn't over yet.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31At around 5pm, two hours after the downpour started,
0:30:31 > 0:30:36the skies were black as heavy rain continued to fall on Glen Ogle.
0:30:36 > 0:30:4157 motorists were still trapped on the roadside and, with a real risk
0:30:41 > 0:30:46of further landslides, time was rapidly turning against them.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51Pouring, absolutely pouring. Some of them had flimsy clothes on when they got out of the car.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56We had nothing to give them, cos any stuff I had was in my vehicle that was down the bank.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59And they just had to bear it. Nothing they could do.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04Firefighters are here to save lives and the only way they could do that
0:31:04 > 0:31:08was to get the stranded motorists off the mountainside
0:31:08 > 0:31:12before they were swept away by any further landslides.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Our initial thoughts was, "Is there any more going to come down?"
0:31:16 > 0:31:21Especially with the amount of people that was stuck in the middle of the landslide.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26The officers did think of taking them out by foot, but they thought it might be too dangerous.
0:31:26 > 0:31:32So that's when the Sea King helicopter was scrambled
0:31:32 > 0:31:37and it was on the scene only 10, 15 minutes after we arrived there.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41By now, the rain had started to ease off, but the threat of further
0:31:41 > 0:31:45landslides was still a clear and present danger.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50So search-and-rescue helicopters were scrambled
0:31:50 > 0:31:54from nearby RAF and Navy military bases.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57The moment the helicopters arrived on the scene,
0:31:57 > 0:32:02they immediately sorted the situation out and started winching people off,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06as they really didn't have many options of where to land
0:32:06 > 0:32:09to load people up, the road being steep-sided.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15We were all standing there.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20I mean, there was always somebody constantly keeping looking up the mountain, because
0:32:20 > 0:32:25with the amount of rain there was, nobody knew if there was going to be another landslide or not.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29Nobody can predict if there's going to be another landslide or not.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32So you were always having just that wee sneaky peek up yourself,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36to make sure that everything was still as it was five minutes ago.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40After helping trapped motorists into the military helicopters,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Darren's dad, Tipper, was one of the last people to be winched to safety.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47They seemed to just take it, you know, I had to go and that was it,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51cos there was no other way out, no other way out.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53I mean, I'd never been in a helicopter myself.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58It was quite frightening, especially when you banked to go round a corner.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09Each of the two rescue helicopters probably made about three trips
0:33:09 > 0:33:16and from here, flying to Killin, where they could land in a field,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19would probably take about five minutes.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Get the people off.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24The people then would get in Land Rovers and be moved to the village hall.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29And the helicopter back on scene and hovering again was pretty damn quick and very efficient.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Torrential rain had battered Glen Ogle for just two hours,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37but the sheer volume of what fell
0:33:37 > 0:33:42led to the horrific landslides, which could have been devastating,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46but thankfully there were no casualties.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51To have to rescue this amount of people in one go is something that
0:33:51 > 0:33:57I've certainly never been involved in and, hopefully, never will be again.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Unbelievably, there were no further landslides
0:34:01 > 0:34:03during the dramatic rescue
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and all 57 motorists, as well as Tipper,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09were safely winched off the highway.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15I just went home and had a cup of tea and I was literally sick.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20Started thinking about it. And I was off my work for a week with stress.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29It was five years ago that the floods and landslides hit the Glen Ogle pass
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and, while it's been flooded some 40 times since,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34there have been no more landslides.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38But that's been of no great reassurance to Tipper.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43People could have been killed, including me.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48For a long time after, I passed that landslip, you automatically look up
0:34:48 > 0:34:50to see if there's anything coming down.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And who can blame him?
0:34:53 > 0:34:57After what happened at this Scottish beauty spot in August 2004,
0:34:57 > 0:35:02it just goes to show that you never know what calamities the British weather can bring.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Selsey in West Sussex was the scene of dreadful devastation
0:35:11 > 0:35:15when the weather turned against it in March 2008.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18A vicious Atlantic storm hit the low-lying coastal town,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21causing huge sea swells and 20ft waves
0:35:21 > 0:35:27to breach sea defences, resulting in the worst flooding for 75 years.
0:35:27 > 0:35:3230 people stranded in the town's caravan park were safely evacuated,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36while Roger Butlin and his pregnant daughter Amy
0:35:36 > 0:35:39fought against the elements to make it to safety.
0:35:39 > 0:35:45It was terrible weather. The situation was to go on to the cliff and walk to the coastguard tower.
0:35:45 > 0:35:52But Roger's popular social club, that's been at the heart of the Selsey community for 30 years,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55didn't get off so lightly.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01So, once the insurance and loss adjusters came and had a look at the property, what were you told?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Initially, we were told that they could get it back together again.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06It would take a certain amount of time.
0:36:06 > 0:36:13But it became obvious as time went by that the main club really was beyond economic repair.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14The fabric had been damaged.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19The amount of damage in the furnishings, carpets, dance floor,
0:36:19 > 0:36:24stage area, electrics, all that type of thing, was beyond repair.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28We knew then that we would be shutting the business.
0:36:29 > 0:36:35The coastal flood of March 2008 took a terrible toll on Selsey.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Whilst Roger lost his business, he wasn't the only one to suffer.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44In total, the residents of Selsey suffered over £5 million of damage.
0:36:44 > 0:36:51Roger's club has now been condemned, but he still plucked up the courage to go back and show me around.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55It's incredible, looking at the place, Roger,
0:36:55 > 0:37:00- because to look at it, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong. - No, that's true.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03It's mostly internal. But the water coming along the front...
0:37:03 > 0:37:09This area actually is a lot lower than the front, and it slopes away into there.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14But this was around two foot deep of water, maybe even more with the rush of water coming through.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17And it laid here for two or three days.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22We can't go in, can we? Because it's got to come down, this building.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28- Yes.- But just having a look in there... What was this in here? - This was the prize bingo unit,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32which is a unit you sit around with the shutter cards and put the little numbers across
0:37:32 > 0:37:38and with the little ping-pong balls. Nice display of cuddly toys, tea sets, that type of thing.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41And how high did the water come up to, here? If you show me on there.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Not quite to the window ledges, but quite high.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Somewhere around there at its peak.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Obviously, there was a subsidence to a base level, if you like, of around 18 inches or so,
0:37:51 > 0:37:56which is around halfway up that middle pane of glass there, that clear glass.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00But enough to do severe damage. And I remember this door here...
0:38:00 > 0:38:01It's a bit battered and bent now.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07- Was that all done by the water? - A lot of this was done by the water. The bottom pane was done, there.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11And this paving was actually lifted, which is quite astounding, isn't it?
0:38:11 > 0:38:16- Yeah, and it really brings home to me how frightening it actually must have been.- Oh, yes.
0:38:16 > 0:38:22This is the door we used on the day, and some of the cracks were because of the wind and slamming the doors.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26And that's the door I came out, initially, to see what was going on.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30I'm walking along and you're looking there and it's totally wrecked.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35I get sense that it's almost... a haunting feeling. Isn't it?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Cos there was all this life in there and now it's just absolutely desolate.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- How does it leave you feeling? - Well, it's a bit like the circus had left town.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48I don't know if you've seen a picture of nice, green grass with the circle where the ring used to be,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50or the funfair rides...
0:38:50 > 0:38:56- I'm actually getting a little bit flushed thinking about it, because it is very emotive, you know.- Yes.
0:38:56 > 0:39:02You can walk through there now... and I can picture, vividly, all the activities going on...
0:39:02 > 0:39:06- It's so sad, isn't it? - Very difficult, yes. Very difficult.
0:39:08 > 0:39:15Following the dramatic sea storms in Selsey, 800 metres of its shingle beach was washed away,
0:39:15 > 0:39:21as well as almost seven square kilometres of land, which led to the devastating floods,
0:39:21 > 0:39:27while the shingle beach has been replenished to act as a buffer against the sea.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32As we've seen, there's no guarantee that it and the existing sea defences
0:39:32 > 0:39:34can fight off coastal flooding.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37So what of Selsey's future?
0:39:37 > 0:39:42I met up with Dee Caldwell of the Save Our Selsey group to find out
0:39:42 > 0:39:46what needs to be done to preserve this low-lying coastal town.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50Dee, why was there flooding here last March?
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Because, basically, the sea's coming in and it's very difficult to stop it.
0:39:54 > 0:40:00It's very expensive to stop it and, eventually, the sea defences let the side down.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03So what's changed along here?
0:40:03 > 0:40:05The process of beach management has changed.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10Here, you can see we've got fantastic defence. This is what the district council have done.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14And then all the way down the beach, there's no real groynes any more.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20They've all been taken out and there's a different policy of running the beach management.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24What could have prevented the flooding then, if anything?
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Throwing a bucketload of money at it.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32If you're considering buying a property near the sea or a river,
0:40:32 > 0:40:39you can check on the Environment Agency website to see whether it's in an area prone to flooding.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44But if you already live in a high-risk area, you can make sure you're well prepared
0:40:44 > 0:40:50in the event of a flood, as James Humphrys from the Environment Agency explains.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52You need a list of things to have put by.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Know where they are. Know where to turn off your utilities.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Have a wind-up torch, a wind-up radio.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Have your most valuable documents such that you can either take them with you
0:41:02 > 0:41:04or put them in a high part of your property.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Consider vulnerable people nearby. Consider pets. Consider your car.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11There's a long list of things that it's worth having on a checklist,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15so that in the time before you suspect flooding might impact upon you,
0:41:15 > 0:41:21you know what you're going to do and you can provide yourself the best possible chance of surviving it well.
0:41:23 > 0:41:31Despite the devastating storm of March 2008, Roger and his daughter Amy haven't been beaten.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36The gutsy duo love their seaside town and, while they may no longer have the social club,
0:41:36 > 0:41:42they did get some compensation from insurers to make a fresh start with a new business.
0:41:42 > 0:41:48And three months after the coastal flood, they got the best present ever, Madison.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52I think the clubs will always hold tremendous memories for me.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55It's a huge chunk of your life that you devote to that type of business.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58It's not a job, it's a way of life.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01They say every cloud's got a silver lining.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03We had two, actually, or I had two.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06My granddaughter Madison was born.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08She was a huge silver lining.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10A gold lining, really.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15And the other bit of the silver lining was we came up with the idea of a website business,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17which is aimed at small businesses.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21And we realised we would be able to spend much more time together.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23We could work from home.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27It's not so pressured and not so regulated,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30and that's what we aim to do in the future.
0:42:30 > 0:42:37Meanwhile, with the British weather being what it is and Selsey being situated where it is,
0:42:37 > 0:42:43only time will tell if the residents of this seaside town will ever win the war with the sea.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50You never know when Britain's unpredictable weather will strike again
0:42:50 > 0:42:53and, as you've seen, when it does, it can be pretty ruthless.
0:42:53 > 0:43:00But life does go on, so join us next time for more amazing stories on Living Dangerously.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:21 > 0:43:25E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk