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Tornado damage 'still being repaired' 12 months on

BBC Photograph of Sue Goddard in the garden of her home, with a toppled tree in her garden in Carrbrook.BBC
Sue Goddard's home was damaged and she lost dozens of trees when the tornado struck

Roofs are being repaired and fallen trees are still being cleared almost 12 months after a tornado struck two villages.

Winds of up to 160mph swept through Millbrook and Carrbrook in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, during Storm Gerrit last year, which damaged about 100 homes and uprooted scores of trees.

Local people said it was a "miracle" that no-one was hurt.

A year later, the hillsides are still littered with fallen trees and some damaged property is still awaiting repair.

Sue Goddard Photo of collapsed chimney stack on a patio after a tornadoSue Goddard
The tornado blew a chimney stack off the roof of Sue Goddard's house

Sue Goddard, who lives below the Cowbury Reservoir in Carrbrook, was in bed when the tornado struck and remembers the house shaking, then walking downstairs to find "devastation".

"Ridge tiles came through the glass roof in the kitchen," she said.

"A chimney stack blew off my roof, my conservatory was damaged, the greenhouse ended up in pieces and I lost dozens of trees".

Photograph of trees which were blown over by the tornado
Dozens of trees are waiting to be made safe below the Cowbury reservoir in Carrbrook

Ms Goddard said the repairs had taken months and there was still work to do.

"The insurance was very good. Work will start on removing fallen trees in the next few months," she said.

Photograph of Joyce Bromley in front of stables and a barn at Hill Top farm in Millbrook
The roof of Joyce Bromley's stone barn was blown off by the tornado

Joyce Bromley, who keeps 12 horses in stables at Hill Top Farm in Millbrook, said the tornado blew away a wooden stable block, while the horses were still inside, and it had taken almost a year to repair the roof of a stone barn.

She said it was a "terrifying" experience.

Photograph of tornado damage at Hill Top Farm in Millbrook, showing an overturned horse box
Winds of up to 160mph overturned a horse box at Hill Top Farm in Millbrook

"The noise was was just so scary," Ms Bromley said.

"The wooden stable block was scattered across the field. All that was left was a concrete base.

"It was incredible that no-one was injured and the animals were safe".

Photograph of Inga Hulme and a horse, in front of stables at the farm where she lives.
Inga Hulme says uprooted trees left holes in fields which is not safe for horses

Inga Hulme, who keeps about 30 horses at Sun Green Farm in Millbrook, said she would never forget what happened.

"It sounded like a train on the roof of the house, she said.

"A tree had gone through the bathroom window and the roof was severely damaged".

She said the maintenance work had taken months.

"Trees were uprooted, which left huge holes in the fields, which isn't safe for the horses, she said.

"We've had to repair fencing and gates. Luckily, its all gone through the insurance".

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