40 evacuated as care home floods

NEARLY 40 patients were evacuated from a new NHS care home at Warrington after flood water poured through the roof, bringing down ceilings and causing extensive damage.
Fire crews were called to Houghton Hall, in Greenwood Crescent, Orford to help cope with the emergency.
Thirty nine patients were evacuated and found emergency alternative accommodation by Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust.
The severe weather conditions were blamed for the incident.
It is believed the main water intake and header tank, housed on the roof of the two storey building, burst.
Floodwater cascaded into the roof space and from there into the first and second floors of the former care home.
Fire crews helped with the evacuation and also pumped away floodwater and helped with general clean-up operations.
None of the patients were injured.
Houghton Hall provides step-down care for patients who have completed acute care at Warrington Hospital following illness or surgery and who still require high quality therapy and rehabilitation before going home or into community care.
There are also four beds for “step up” patients, referred by GPs for car prior to admission to hospital.
It was originally built as a nursing home but last year underwent extensive improvement and modernisation to enable it to take on its new role.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “Extensive damage has been caused by the water and I would think it will be some little time before the unit can be brought back into use.
“We also helped make safe equipment which could be affected by the flooding.”
Electricity supplies to the building had to be cut off.