Woman whose family displaced by Chard flooding remaining positive

A woman whose home was flooded after "raging" river water poured into it during flash floods says she will remain positive.

Lilias Ahmeira and her family are waiting for delivery of two static caravans after flash floods poured into her home in Chard, Somerset.

A deluge 4ft (1.2m) high entered her house after heavy rainfall on 28 June and also left her neighbours stranded.

Ms Ahmeira said she was determined to "find the fun" in the disruption.

The health practitioner said many things had changed "positively" since the storm, including a makeshift road being laid.

But she said a permanent road should be constructed as quickly as possible ahead of any other heavy rainfall.

All of the floors in her home will need to be re-laid and the plasterwork is "somewhat mouldy", she said.

Somerset County Council said damage caused by the "absolute deluge" was not preventable and that drains and culverts had been regularly checked.

Ms Ahmeira, her partner and three sons could be living in two static homes for up to eight months once they are delivered. In the meantime they are having to live in the flood-damaged house.

"We might be [living in the caravans] at Christmas still so we're already saying, 'right, you can do a Christmas breakfast in your caravan and we'll do a Christmas lunch in our caravan'," Ms Ahmeira said.

"We're just trying to find the fun and the 'positive-ness' of it because to do anything else is miserable."

She added she was determined to deal with the "curveball" successfully, despite her life being "turned upside down".

"I can hold my head in my hands and cry and sob about how awful this is or I can go, 'right, what's the best way to get out of this and what are we going to learn from it?'," Ms Ahmeira told BBC Radio Somerset.

"It's easier to be on the upside than the downside - it's just a question of finding it."

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