Suffolk farmers step up with Storm Babet rescue efforts

Armies of tractor drivers were out in force during the floods - rescuing stricken pupils and drivers throughout the afternoon and long into Friday evening after many of the county's villages and towns became almost impassable lakes.

In certain areas, only tractors were able to make it through because of the depth of floodwater which in some places was two or three feet deep.

A host of farmers helped to extract pupils whose schools had become islands as a result of flooded roads.

In Debenham, a small army of tractor drivers arrived to help get pupils out of Sir Robert Hitcham primary school.

Among them were members of the McVeigh family at Kenton Hall, near Debenham, who joined with others to reach stricken villagers.

"We lent a hand - it was the least we could do - there were a lot of people in need," said Lucy Davenport of Kenton Hall.

It started with a call to help a mother and her baby, she said. She told her dad, David McVeigh, who headed down to help her out.

After hearing that the school was cut off they went on to do what they could there to evacuate the pupils stuck inside, she said. Her husband, Luke Davenport, headed off in an ex-Army Unimog to help out.

"We hopped in our tractors and went down," she explained.  "There was an amazing team of farmers - all local. There were five or six tractors ferrying people."

For David McVeigh, it was a re-run of a similar emergency 30 years ago when he and the late farmer Chris Styles helped out with their tractors. This time, David was working alongside Chris's son, Tom Styles.

"My dad was brilliant - he has experience," said Lucy. "It's amazing how everyone pulled together - and the children were remarkable." She added: "Farming is an amazing community."

The rescue took its toll on some of the farmers' vehicles, she said. Their own Unimog suffered a flat tyre as a result of debris hidden by the water, and she also saw a tractor similarly hit.

"It was very disorientating because you never see it like that," she said of the floods.

But she added: "No one in the village got hurt and we were able to help people in need. It's lovely to know there are people there available to help when a crisis hits."

After evacuating the children, they helped out members of the public who were stuck, she said.

Glenn Buckingham - who farms the Helmingham Estate at Framsden, near Debenham, and is deputy chairman of the Suffolk branch of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) - spent Friday morning trying to help the village's householders avert flooding.

"There was so much water," he said. "We had 30mm of rain overnight and between 8am and 5pm another 50mm."

When it became clear that for some unlucky ones the influx was just too powerful - in the end about eight homes in the village were flooded - he helped out by ferrying children from both Framsden and Debenham primaries. 

"There were many tractors - it was the obvious choice. Anything high was the only way," he said.

"Every brand of tractor was out and about," he added. "It was a group effort."

Farmers also helped out stranded drivers by giving them dry passage through the floods.

"I know there are lots of people who are very grateful," he said. "By the time I collapsed into bed that night I thought it was harder than a day of physical work."

James Nunn, who farms at Stowupland, ferried children from his son's school in Brandeston while his dad, David Nunn, helped to get out pupils from Mendlesham and Stowupland schools.

"I think most of the farmers were doing what we did," said David. Conditions were awful, he added. "James got back in the evening and he was unsure in a couple of the fields he would get through with a tractor. I think we were hit quite bad here - we had close to 80mm of rain."

Farmers now face an anxious wait to see what damage the floods have wrought on their newly-planted crops.

"It's a job to tell at the moment," explained Glenn. "Trying to make an assessment is difficult. The weather is very cold. It cools the soil down, it takes the oxygen out - it will have an effect."

Over on the Euston Estate, near Thetford, estate director Andrew Blenkiron, chairman of Suffolk NFU, was out over the weekend helping to rescue livestock left stranded in Friday's floods.

"I had to go for a little paddle-swim on Saturday to rescue five. We have this morning had to pull a few more out from the river as it's got even higher," he said.

"I also had to move the cattle off the low meadows on Friday afternoon - thankfully I did as they could well have been cut off by now."

At Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm near Ipswich, livestock out grazing in fields were also stuck - meaning farm workers had to take feed out to stranded animals.

National Farmers' Union (NFU) East regional director Zoe Leach praised farmers for their efforts during the crisis.

“It is really great to see our members getting out to help people during the floods in Suffolk.

“Our farmers always step up to the plate to help the community during extreme weather or in any other time of need.

“They have done us proud once again.”

Mid Suffolk District Council leader Andy Mellen also singled out farmers - along with a host of other professions - for their role in supporting and rescuing people caught up in the floods.

“People have helped each other. We saw farmers using tractors to help schoolchildren and stranded motorists in Debenham and many other places," he said.