A woman says she is trapped in her own home as she is “terrified” of what she’ll find there if she leaves it.
Lilly Vaughan, 62, moved into her home in St Helens, Merseyside 10 years ago.
However since then, she has experienced five severe floods that have left her home “ruined” and changed her life.
The flooding began five years ago, when, after a trip to a BBQ in July 2016, she returned home to discover her hallway was full of water.
She assumed somebody had “poured [the water] through her letterbox as a joke” the Liverpool Echo reports.
Now she can’t leave the house as she is terrified of finding it flooded once more upon her return.
She said: “When I first moved in it didn't happen for a few years and nobody had mentioned anything to me.
“One day I went to a BBQ round the corner and it started to rain. I decided to go home whilst it was raining.
“When I got home I actually thought somebody had poured water through my letterbox. I came in and mopped it all up which took about an hour but it had also travelled to my living room and went under the carpets.
“But I thought nothing of it at the time and just got it sorted.”
Lilly moved to her Merseyside home in 2010 with her son Danny, the same year she experienced a stroke that left her with a number of mental and physical difficulties.
She continued: “I’m terrified to go out, I won’t go out in case I come back and my house has flooded.
“I’ve spent all my savings on this house. I’ve spent thousands. I’ve done the garden. I’ve done it lovely inside and out and now I’ve just gone backwards.
“I’m nearly giving up and nobody will help. With the terrible rain we’ve had recently I’m terrified.
“I’m not eating, I’m not sleeping. My nerves are gone and I’m shattered.”
Lilly grew up in Anfield, and explained how her house sat on the corner of the bottom of a hill, so when it rains it drains towards her house and pools on her driveway.
She has also considered a house-swap, but has too many cherished memories of sharing her home with her son, who died in 2010.
She added: “I’m so house proud and I can’t take that with me in a house swap - everything I’ve done here.
“I moved into this house with my son and I’ve got a lot of memories here with him. I would love to stay in the home because it means a lot to me.
“I just want somebody to actually help me and do something that will stop the flooding. I can’t sleep properly until the roads are done and I know it's safe.”
Lilly has had to move her daughter into the house in order to feel safe and help with the daily mopping.
A spokesperson for United Utilities said: “We’re very sorry to hear about the problems Ms Vaughan has been experiencing with flooding to her property during heavy rainfall.
“This is a complicated issue caused by a combination of factors including a local drainage system that is becoming overwhelmed during extreme weather conditions.
“We’re sending out one of our engineers to survey the property damage and will work in partnership with the local council to find a solution to this issue.”
A spokesperson for Torus, the northwest housing developer responsible for Lilly's home, added: "We are sorry that this tenant has experienced problems with water ingress and understand how upsetting flooding and water damage can be.
"The location of the property, on a corner downslope, means that in the event of severe rain, water heads towards the property.
"With instances of severe weather increasing in recent years, Torus is working proactively to minimise flood risk and protect people’s homes.
"In this case, the property’s drive has had repairs to divert rainwater and specialist drains have been installed to the front to speed up the rate at which excess water is removed.
"Torus’ home repairs contractor has visited the property on several occasions to put right any flood damage and make sure the drains are clear, most recently in October 2021."
Torus also said Lilly is receiving ongoing support from her Neighbourhood Officer and the company are currently in contact with the her about further planned works and how they can support her going forward.
