Britain, November 22: flood-hit northwest is bracing for more devastation after river levels rose again and forecasters warned of more rain following unprecedented torrential deluges.
Scenes of devastation greeted Prime Minister Gordon Brown on a visit to the badly affected town of Cockermouth, with houses filled with muddy water, silt and sludge carpeting the roads and personal belongings floating away.
The floods forced hundreds of people out of their homes and left a policeman dead after the bridge on which he was standing was swept away.
Some 314 mm of rain fell in 24 hours – the highest level since records began – over the county of Cumbria as torrential rains swept across Britain and Ireland this week.
Meteorologist Paul Mott said more rain was expected on Sunday and in subsequent days, adding: “Some will be quite heavy and there will be more prolonged showers on Tuesday.
“But it’s not going to be nearly as heavy as Thursday – it’s just going to be a very slow recovery.”
The Environment Agency said river levels were rising again slowly and the emergency services once again urged people not to go back to their homes.
An estimated 1300 homes have been affected by flooding across the region, 1000 left without power, and hundreds of people displaced. Almost 70 people remain in temporary accommodation.
Mr Brown, who pledged an extra one million pounds to help flood-hit communities, met people unable to return home at a reception centre set up at a hotel in Cockermouth. The town is on the edge of the scenic Lake District.
Four bridges collapsed in the area, including a bridge in the coastal town of Workington, which was swept away on the raging waters of the river Derwent.
Policeman Bill Barker was directing motorists away from the bridge when it collapsed on Thursday. His body was recovered on a beach downstream.
Tony Cunningham, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Workington, described the flood as “of biblical proportions.”
Heavy rain was also seen in neighbouring Ireland, causing floods that Environment Minister John Gormley said were “a once in 800 years event.”
—Agencies