Flood-devastated Somerset is counting the cost of the disaster which has cost each business a staggering £17,000 -- in just SIX weeks. The first survey of businesses in the area revealed lost revenue and productivity totalled a whopping £1,232,009 since the deluge began. A worrying 40 per cent of businesses in the region said customer numbers had dwindled with more than a third reporting a fall in sales.
The Somerset Chamber of Commerce quizzed 170 businesses and while many said it was too early to put a price tag on the devastation, 71 said they had lost an average £17,352 since the start of the year.