Government criticised over lack of support for Cornwall after Storm Goretti

The Government has faced fresh criticism for its response to the devastation caused by Storm Goretti - as more stories emerge of families having to abandon their homes amidst the destruction and people being left without power.

Andrew George, the Liberal Democrat MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said a national emergency would have been declared if there had been similar levels of destruction in London.

Speaking in the House of Commons Mr George said: "People in vulnerable positions have not been able to communicate their vulnerability and that, I think, is a very serious matter, particularly for people who are traumatised and isolated."

He and fellow Cornish MPs said a review needed to be carried out to learn lessons for the future.

In response the Government said he was right to raise concerns and offered assurances that departments would work closely with local authorities to ensure the county's infrastructure is fully restored and better prepared for future storms.

This comes as many residents are still struggling to get back to normality. In Helston, homeowner Rupert Law finally had electricity restored after five days without supply.

“We had lots of romantic nights playing board games by candlelight,” he said. “It’s been fun, but the novelty does wear off eventually.”

Mr Law said he didn't realise the scale of the power outage, believing it may have just been his home that was affected.

He said: "It’s an old house and sometimes the power goes off. What we didn't realise was that it was the whole postcode, mainly Helston, and our little area."

Reflecting on his family's experience, Mr Law said: "You don’t realise how special electricity is. It was fun for a few days, but on Sunday night we checked into a hotel and had a shower, hot food and a warm bed for the night."

When asked if he believed more could have been done by the Government in the aftermath of the storm, he said, "The storm was quite a rare event, we can handle it, there are bigger priorities and better things to do. We have lots of community help in these areas, so we make-do."

Another homeowner from Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth, relived the terrifying moment a tree crashed into their property as they watched television with their family during Storm Goretti.

Alex Hill and his family had to take refuge in their garden shed, near Falmouth, as wind speeds of more than 90 miles an hour swept across Cornwall.

Mr Hill said: "We were sat down watching TV, at around 7:30pm. We heard a big crack, the lights went out, we were shocked. It all happened so quick, the winds were like nothing we have ever seen before.

"Four mature oaks came down around us, we have two young boys, so I was quite worried for them.

"The community really pulled together, friends offered to fix-up the house, so we should be able to get our home back, I can't believe it's still standing, it's a testament to the house.

"We are so lucky that none of us were injured, and miraculously across the county there were few injures."

Storm Goretti brought gusts of almost 100mph and a rare red warning for “dangerous” winds across the South West.

One man in his 50s died after a tree fell on a caravan in the Mawgan area on Thursday evening.

Disruption continues to be felt across Cornwall five days on, with hundreds of homes still without power, businesses counting the cost and some schools still closed or opening later in the day.

Many businesses are still feeling the impact of the storm.

Kerrie Bonsor, Social Media Manager of Cafe Mylor in Falmouth, said: "We have been affected quite dramatically. The power slowly went off on Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday we were open again for local people so we could help them.

"We had electricity so we could help people charge their phones and laptops, so they could contact families. People were worried about their friends, family and others living nearby."

The cafe lost power again on Monday evening, so they were unable to provide support to the wider community.

Kerrie added: "Unfortunately the power went off again so we had people contacting us to see if we can provide hot water and food. We were shut yesterday so we couldn't help, but we are now back up and running and helping those people."

Kerrie said that she felt that enough wasn't being done to help the Duchy in Storm Goretti's aftermath.

Earlier this week, Cornish MP Andrew George wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for a national emergency response to the devastation caused by the storm.

She added, "I do worry about the vulnerable people and the elderly, everything was down, so you couldn't contact anyone, I worry about a lot of people.

"We were so lucky to have the volunteers, the council helped us out a lot, and so did National Grid but there is only so much they can do."

Hundreds still without power

Currently around 200 homes remain without power in Cornwall. The National Grid has reported that most customers now have now had their power restored, but those who remain will be their "absolute priority".

Welfare provisions, including water stations, have been set up in the areas most impacted, as well as warm spaces where people can access heating, food and drinks. A full list of those open in Cornwall can be found here.

Many across Cornwall were left without water. In a statement, South West Water said: "A vast majority of our customers are receiving their water supply as normal today and our systems are all up and running.

"A small number of customers, fewer than 100, may still be experiencing low pressure or a temporary loss of supply, but this is a normal side-effect due to trapped air in the pipes.

"Our engineers are flushing the pipes now and we’d like to reassure our customers that this is only temporary and does not affect water quality."

The company said they would keep their Old Flambards water station open for households affected, but will close two smaller sites, Folly Field Car park and Mullion School.

To those without water, bottled supplies are being handed out at the following locations.

Travel disruption

Cornwall Council say it is continuing its response and recovery work following the storm, with clean-up operations expected to continue into this week.

In a post on X, the council said they are responding to over 1,000 incidents across the region, and are asking members of the public to "avoid attempting to clear large debris, as there may be hidden dangers such as unstable trees or fallen power lines."

They're asking anyone encountering a highway issue to contact the council by calling 03001234222 or via the council website.

Train lines have also been disrupted after a number of fallen trees and power lines have meant that all Great Western Railway trains between Par and Newquay have been cancelled and the operator says they "expect disruption till the end of the day."

Rail replacement services are being offered to anyone who has a valid ticket to travel.

School closures

A number of schools will remain closed or have later start times across Cornwall on Tuesday following the disruption caused by the high winds.

Current school and college closures in Cornwall:

• Bodriggy Academy - closed

• Boskenwyn School - closed

• Cornwall College St Austell - closed

• Coverack School - closed

• Heamoor School - opening at 10.30am

• St Keverne School - closed

• St Levan Primary School - closed

• Newlyn School - closed

Cornwall Council said the storm, which brought winds of over 100mph to the South West, has meant many buildings are facing structural damage and other storm related issues.