A coach tour operator is counting the cost of floods chaos to his business.
Richard Jessop, of Arrow Coach Travel in Brighouse, was stunned when up to six feet of water ploughed into his yard and building at Riverside Works on Briggate on Boxing Day.
Now Mr Jessop, 56, fears he faces costs upwards of £30,000 to get back up and running after the River Calder burst its banks in a way he “never expected.”
One large 49-seater coach is likely to be written off, while his reception area and two other coaches have also been damaged.
He is also doubtful that his wife’s Toyota MR2 and their caravan can be salvaged, for which he will have to claim around £11,000.
“We never expected it to do so much damage”, he said. “I was alerted at 10am that water was in the yard so we went down and moved the coaches up as high as we could .
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“The flood warning came at 11.50am but it was too late and by around 2pm the water was waist high and continued to rise until 6pm.
“It reached halfway up a 12-foot high bus and almost submerged the car and the caravan.
“The water seemed to be gentle but came in very quickly and when it started running into the inspection pits it was like a waterfall.
“We knew it the yard had partially flooded in 2012 when the Calder burst its banks but thought that it would only reach that high if it happened again-how wrong we were.”
Mr Jessop now faces a lengthy clean-up operation.
“Twenty-four tonnes of water and silt were taken away initially and we will have to totally refurbish the customer area.
“Two of the other coaches have some electrical faults at the moment that we’re working on but fortunately the other two parked inside were completely saved.
“The support from family, friends and scouts has been overwhelming, as it has been from other coach operators, who are really our industry rivals, but are still here helping us clear up.
“It’s going to cost a lot in insurance. The coach alone could cost in between £20,000 and 30,000.
“We’ve got to grin and bear it at the moment but we will probably look to see if there are any different premises if this is going to continue as it will not be possible for us to stay.”
