Post date: Jun 09, 2012 7:1:48 PM
BORTH, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 9, 2012) (ITN) - Rescue services plucked some 150 people from their homes and caravans as severe flooding hit western areas of Wales in the United Kingdom on Saturday (June 9).
Around 150 people are rescued from homes and caravans after severe floods hit west Wales.
Holidaymakers and residents were helped to safety in a rescue operation which involved fire fighters, lifeboats and military search and rescue helicopters, British media reported.
Caravan parks and villages near the town of Aberystwyth were inundated with flood waters.
"The riverbanks burst apparently, and what's behind me is the result. Never ever seen anything like this in all the times we've been down here," said a resident, Don Talbot, speaking in Dolybont, a village in the area.
Holiday camps along the local River Lery were evacuated.
150 people were sheltering in rescue centres, police said.
"We've come up supposedly on holiday for seven days, but the weather's got other ideas about that," one holidaymaker, Nick, said, speaking in a community centre in Borth.
"We opened the door and the water was coming into our caravan, so we got airlifted out because obviously we couldn't get out because it was coming into the caravan. And then we went to some other caravan site and we've been transported here by the ambulance and everything," caravaner Leanne added.
A flood alert was raised in the early hours on Saturday after more than 12 centimetres (five inches) of rain fell in the area in 24 hours.
Flood warnings remained in place in the area during Saturday.