Channel 5 presents The Great Devon & Cornwall Floods, a feature-length documentary that revisits two of Britain’s worst flash floods, separated by 52 years. On 16 August 1952, Lynmouth, Devon, experienced a devastating flash flood caused by 15 cm of rainfall in just a few hours.
The torrent of water, coupled with tonnes of boulders, sediment, and uprooted trees, obliterated entire rows of houses and tragically claimed 34 lives. In a chilling coincidence, on the same date in 2004, Boscastle in Cornwall endured a nearly identical flash flood.
The documentary, airing on Saturday, 24 August 2024, at 9:00 pm, offers a minute-by-minute account of the harrowing events that unfolded in both floods. In Boscastle, four hours of relentless rainfall transformed the Rivers Valency and Jordan into raging torrents. The flood’s power swept away 84 vehicles and left centuries-old buildings in ruins. Remarkably, despite the extensive damage, no lives were lost thanks to the largest human airlift since World War II.
The programme features interviews with survivors, rescuers, politicians, and experts, as well as unprecedented archive footage. It provides a detailed account of the floods’ impact, including the destruction of 58 buildings and four bridges in Boscastle, and the challenging months-long process of removing 20 years’ worth of river sediment from homes and businesses. The documentary also highlights the lengthy rebuild process, which spanned a generation.
The Great Devon & Cornwall Floods airs on Channel 5 at 9:00 pm on Saturday, 24 August 2024.
