Moment huge wave crashes through amusement arcade with torrent of water ripping off door, smashing windows and damaging machines

• The arcade in Westward Ho, Devon, were caught by surprise by the giant wave
• There was £40,000 worth of damage at Ho! Barts Family Entertainment Centre
• Rob Braddick was next-door when he heard the water smash into the arcade

Shocking footage reveals the moment a huge wave crashed through an amusement arcade – ripping off the door, smashing windows and damaging machines. 

Rob Braddick, 50, had been watching the Westward Ho! promenade in Devon from inside Ho! Barts Family Entertainment Centre when he heard a loud noise across the room.

The 50-year-old rushed over to discover a wave had ripped out a glass-panelled entrance door and its protective boardings to cause an eye-watering £40,000 worth of damage.

He shared the CCTV clip showing the huge deluge of water crash through his windows and blasting arcade machines as a warning to others following the Met Office weather warnings this weekend. 

Shocking footage reveals the moment a huge wave crashes through an amusement arcade AT Westward Ho! promenade in Devon

The CCTV footage shows the ‘immensely powerful’ surge throw a heavy claw crane game away from the wall and engulf a kids’ rocking machine.

Another angle from above the destroyed entrance shows water flooding over the patterned carpet and dangerously surrounding the arcade’s electrical games in less than two seconds.

Owner of Braddicks leisure, Rob, was overcome by relief to find no customers were in the way despite the arcade being open and it being just 20 feet from the promenade wall.

Images show the whole entrance panel completely torn away from the building as people stand by in bewilderment.

The water is pictured flooding over the patterned carpet and surrounding the arcade’s electrical games

Owner of Braddicks leisure, Rob Braddick , 50, (pictured) was overcome by relief to find no customers were in the way

Rob had been watching the Westward Ho! promenade in Devon from inside Ho! Barts Family Entertainment Centre when he heard the loud noise from the next room

The arcade had to throw away and replace water-damaged machines and drenched carpets as part of a mammoth insurance claim.

Less than two weeks after the incident which occurred in 2014, he had the entrance bricked up and moved to around the corner to avoid falling victim to the merciless sea weather again.

Flooding has already begun to wreak havoc across Britain as the Met Office issued a further two yellow warnings for North West England and much of Wales for tomorrow.

The sea’s tidal nature meant the waves died down throughout the night in time for the family to return and assess the damage in the morning

The arcade had to throw away and replace water-damaged machines and drenched carpets

One woman died after being rescued from floods in Walkerburn, Scottish Boarders, on New Year’s Eve and Wales’ fire services were forced to rescue one trapped driver last week in waterlogged Machynlleth, West Wales.

One Scot even made a wall of animal dung on his own driveway in a desperate attempt to stop his house from flooding.

Now nine years on from his weather nightmare, Rob shares the clip while urging others to keep safe by taking precautions and ‘boarding up’ where necessary.

Nine years on from his weather nightmare, Rob shares the clip while urging others to keep safe by taking precautions

His post containing the footage has earned almost 250 reactions with users describing it as ‘wild’ and ‘one hell of a wave’.

Rob, from Westward Ho!, Devon, said: ‘We’ve never had anything like it before or since.

‘We knew that corner was vulnerable so we boarded it up for the night but the wave just came right through and pushed the doors and window right in.

‘We heard a shudder and a lot of smashing glass. We could see the water on the carpet, so we ran around hoping there was nobody standing in that area. It was really dangerous.’

In total, there was £40,000 worth of damage following the terrifying incident 

‘The power of these waves is immense. It’s scary. It takes three or four people to lift those machines but the wave did it easily.

‘If you’re a little bit vulnerable this winter I’d make sure you board up what you’ve got.’

The sea’s tidal nature meant the waves died down throughout the night in time for the family to return and assess the damage in the morning.

Less than two weeks after the incident which occurred in 2014, he had the entrance bricked up and moved to around the corner

Rob’s family business has owned the arcade, called Mrs B’s Amusements at the time of the incident, since 1992 and they also own pubs and a holiday park in Westward Ho!

The businessman’s Facebook post said: ‘Blimey. That must have been some wave and the doors were boarded over outside. Nine years ago tonight.’

One commented: ‘Holy moly, that must’ve been one hell of a wave to have done that. Winter storms are powerful things.’

Rob said: ‘The power of these waves is immense. It’s scary. It takes three or four people to lift those machines but the wave did it easily’

Another added: ‘That’s so dangerous! Good job there were no children around.’

A third said: ‘What a wild night that was. So much damage. Amazing how well it was all mended again. Quite a challenge for all concerned!’

A fourth wrote: ‘Never underestimate the power of the sea when it’s made its mind up there’s no stopping it.’

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