On the night of the 15 August 1952, a storm broke over South-West England, depositing 9.0in of rain within 24 hours on an already waterlogged Exmoor. Floodwaters filled with rocks and boulders cascaded down the northern face of the moor, converging upon the village of Lynmouth; in particular, in the upper West Lyn valley.
Overnight, over 100 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged along with 28 of the 31 bridges, and 38 cars were washed out to sea. In total, 34 people died, with a further 420 made homeless.
Today the village hosts a Museum dedicated to those who lost their lives and is free to the public to enter. You can leave donations to the fund as you leave the Museum. The Museum is incredibly moving and has a scaled sized model in the middle showing the village and the flood. It also lists every name of the people who lost their lives in the flood and those who were hurt or lost loved ones. Another sign that the flood of 1952 has not been forgotten is a jet of water at the start of the Glen Lyn Gorge which shoots high in to the air simulating the height of where the water level reached at its peak during the flood.
Overnight, over 100 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged along with 28 of the 31 bridges, and 38 cars were washed out to sea. In total, 34 people died, with a further 420 made homeless.
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