With flooding spreading from Somerset and Worcester to parts of the Thames valley, the waters are encroaching on thousands of homeowners and businesses.
In Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, B3 and digital printer Marco Print is located in an old boatyard, right by the river Thames. Ironically it is not flooding from the river itself that is causing the company problems, but groundwater.
“We’re having to wade into work in wellies, and having to park quite a way away. I can’t get paper delivered so I’m having to carry it all in by hand,” said managing director Stuart Wroth. “Fortunately we are on the first floor of the building.”
He added: “We are 20 metres from the river and never even see it usually. But the water isn’t coming from the river, it’s coming up through the drains and it’s got nowhere to go. It has come right up to the top of my wellies but not topped them yet.”
Promotional clothing and bag specialist Pier32 is located on an island in the Thames at Thames Ditton. Director Gerry Hayter has found himself in the midst of a media maelstrom, with news crews from the national media covering the flooding camped out on the mainland nearby.
“Everyone is rubber-necking. We are on a flood warning and we are having a hard time, but we are just getting on with it,” Hayter said.
Other printers are counting themselves lucky. In Bridgwater, Somerset, label printer Custom Labels is located right by the river Parrett.
“Fortunately, we are on the higher side of the river, but on the opposite side to us it has flooded into the houses,” explained office administrator Caroline Phillips. “We are absolutely fine but loads of people in the area have been affected.”
And in Ringwood, Hampshire, auction catalogue printer Pardy & Son’s factory is 45 metres from Bickerley Millstream, which joins the Lower Avon, subject to a flood warning from the Environment Agency.
“The river has broken its banks but it would have to go up a lot more for it to actually get to us,” said production co-ordinator Tina Stockley. “A lot of people are having to drive long routes to get here, though, because the roads are blocked.”
Yesterday's high winds caused disruption to travel by road and rail, and resulted in widespread power outages in some areas, with parts of Wales particularly badly affected.
Snowdonia Press in Porthmadog lost power for a period yesterday, and director Jim Mowatt has felt the affects of high winds personally.
"The printworks is OK, but my house has lost its roof! I've spent all morning with the builders," he said.
"Business-wise they were very quick getting the power back on and luckily we've not had much rain. It's the people who are flooded I feel sorry for," Mowatt added.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings involving snow in the north of England and Scotland over the next two days, with more wind and heavy rain forecast for Wales and the south of England. The Environment Agency still has more than 140 flood warnings listed on its website.
