Flood-damaged parts of the UK are bracing themselves for more heavy rain today after two days of downpours that inundated homes, swept away bridges, sparked evacuations and claimed the life of a policeman.
Gordon Brown has pledged an extra £1m to help flood-hit communities in Cumbria, which yesterday suffered the worst downpour in British history, with 314mm – more than a foot of rain – falling in 24 hours.
Brown announced the funding on a visit to the flood-stricken county where PC Bill Barker died after a bridge collapsed. More than 1,300 households across Cumbria have been affected, with hundreds of people displaced and more than 1,000 homes left without power. About 100 people remain in emergency shelters.
A thorough search of houses affected by the flooding began this morning, as the emergency services advised people not to return to their homes yet and forecasters predicted fresh downpours.
The Met Office has predicted another 15mm (0.5in) to 40mm (1.6in) of rain in Cumbria today. Four bridges collapsed in the county and 11 remain closed due to fast-flowing floodwaters.
There are four severe flood warnings in force in Cumbria and 19 flood warnings across Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and Wales. There are flood watches in another 50 areas.
Both rivers that run through Cockermouth – the town worst affected by the flooding – burst their banks, blocking roads and forcing more than 200 people from their homes.
A police spokesman said: “Nobody has been reported missing in the area at this time and the rescue effort is being scaled down. “Fewer than 100 people remain in reception centres, with the rest having made alternative arrangements to stay with family and friends.”
Ian Rideout, a Red Cross worker, said many of those rescued were suffering from shock. “The centre of Cockermouth looks like it has been completely destroyed. I’ve never seen anything like it. The water has caused so much damage that many of the homes here are completely ruined.
“We’ve been working non-stop and between the Red Cross and RNLI we’ve rescued around 200 people from their homes. “Last night I went up in one of the helicopters to get an idea of the full scale of the disaster and where we should focus rescue efforts. Almost straight away we found four people on the roof of their home who needed to be winched to safety. “Most of the people we’ve rescued have been in shock. One minute it’s raining heavily, then the next their home is filling with water and they’re being evacuated by the Red Cross.”
People in the town said they were worried that rain forecast for the weekend would bring more problems. Alan Smith said: “The thing with the river Cocker is it can fall as quickly as it can rise.
“It’s come down four foot from last night but the fells are sodden and if we get any more rain it will just come straight off and into the river and the level will rise again.
“If we have persistent rain like last night and the day before, we will be back to square one.”
Julian Mayes, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, said: “What happened was at least a one in 500 years event. It was a historic day which broke all records.”
Further showers were likely to give river levels a “temporary upward blip” and flood plain areas would remain flooded, he said.
The Workington MP, Tony Cunningham, said the flood was “of biblical proportions” and he was astonished by the destruction of the Northside bridge, which led to PC Barker’s death.
Cunningham, whose constituency covers Cockermouth, said: “If the floods in Carlisle are anything to go by then people were out of their homes for 10, 11, even 12 months.
“There are many broken buildings in Cockermouth but the people are not broken.”
At a meeting at Penrith police station in Cumbria, Brown said the government would match the £1m in aid already given by the North West Development Agency.
“We will do everything we can to support the local community in its hour of need.”
Brown has paid tribute to Barker, calling the policeman “a very brave and heroic man”.
Barker, who would have been celebrating his 45th birthday today, was killed as he directed motorists away from the bridge. It collapsed and he was swept away. His body was found on a beach in nearby Allonby.
The officer, from Egremont, served with Cumbria police for 25 years and leaves a wife, Hazel, and four children.
His wife said her husband was her “forever friend” and “an amazing dad”, adding: “I have the comfort of knowing that Bill died doing the job he loved, and the fact that he was helping others is just typical Bill.”
Cumbria police Chief Constable Craig Mackey said Barker was “a wonderful police officer and a real family man”.
“Bill is a hero who died saving the lives of others and our thoughts are with his family at this devastating time. He was a much loved friend, colleague and an inspiration to everyone he knew – he will be sadly missed.”
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