County is hit hard by floods and gales 25th January 2008
THE weather wreaked havoc across Herefordshire for the second week running.
Severe storms on Thursday led to shoppers being evacuated, traffic disruption, and cuts in electricity and water supply.
Parts of Hereford city centre were closed after fears for the safety of shoppers. Eign Gate was a no-go area after debris was blown from the roof of Woolworths and landed in front of Iceland.
Felting and pieces of wood were found in the street but no-one was hurt. West Street, which runs behind the store, was also cordoned off by police.
Bosses at Sainsbury's decided to close after roof debris was blown down.
The store was shut for nearly four hours on Thursday after masonry fell from the Barton Yard shop. A nearby cycle path and a section around the store were closed and a temporary repair made to the roof.
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"We wanted to ensure our customers were safe," said Kevin Healy, store manager.
A farmers' market in High Town was also cancelled.
Response teams from the Highways Agency and Herefordshire Council were in action clearing trees from the county's main roads.
Five trees came down along the A465 and another tree fell on a car at Widemarsh Common. No-one was hurt.
Hereford-bound traffic on the A49 was disrupted at Much Birch after a tree fell and traffic lights on the junction between Ross Road and Holme Lacy Road were out of action on Friday morning.
Thousands of homes were without electricity across the county for several days.
"Herefordshire and Worcestershire were the two counties worst hit across our patch with about 7,500 homes without electricity," said Central Networks spokesman Jonathan Smith.
Power cuts in rural areas had been especially bad, he said.
Water supplies in some parts of East Herefordshire were also interrupted by a burst water main on Friday morning.
