When Storm Goretti swept through Cornwall earlier this month, it left a trail of destruction in its wake, exposing the region’s vulnerabilities and the need for greater infrastructure investment. Residents of remote communities like Cucurrian found themselves isolated, cut off from the outside world as power, water, and communication lines were severed.
“I think people feel let down, angry, failed,” said Mark Pugh, an audiobook producer who had to carefully navigate the steep, winding lanes just to find a mobile signal strong enough to work. “This storm has shown that Cornwall isn’t resilient enough. A lot is promised, but not enough is delivered.”
The storm downed thousands of power, phone, and broadband lines, and caused countless trees to fall, including one that crushed the caravan of 50-year-old James Southey, tragically killing him. For days, hundreds of people were left without power or water, and while those services have since been restored, communication links in some areas remain down two weeks on.
“It’s like we’re forgotten,” said Elaine Claxton, a 70-year-old actor who has no broadband, no landline, and an unreliable mobile signal at her home in Cucurrian. Staying in touch with frail family members has been a challenge.
The disruption has had a significant impact on local businesses and services. Sam Kirby, a 53-year-old digital marketing consultant and coastguard rescue officer, found herself having to work from a supermarket car park or the library, just to find a stable internet connection.
“We’re constantly being told by those pushing Cornwall as a place to work that we’ve got the best broadband in the country, that we’re a booming digital economy. It’s hard to boom digitally when you can’t even get a text message out,” Kirby said.
The incident has reignited calls for greater investment in Cornwall’s infrastructure, with Loveday Jenkin, a leading member of the Mebyon Kernow political party, arguing that the region should have more devolved resilience funding.
“It shows Cornwall should have more devolved resilience money,” Jenkin said. “People want to treat Cornwall as a holiday playground. They need to recognise that there are people on the ground who have to manage it but don’t have the money.”
As the region braces for more storms, the aftermath of Goretti has left many Cornish people questioning whether the rest of the UK truly cares about the far-west of Britain, or if it is simply seen as a holiday destination.