Thousands evacuated as floodwaters rise

Homes across Britain are expected to be at risk of flooding for days to come with thousands of people already evacuated.

A total of five people have died in accidents related to the rains.

Up to 1,000 properties in Morpeth, Northumberland, have been flooded. An RAF helicopter was called in to help pluck several stranded residents to safety.

Flash floods have also hit parts of Yorkshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Northumberland County Council member Andrew Tebbutt said Morpeth was "virtually cut off" from the outside world by the rising water. Residents spent the night at two rescue centres located in the north and the south of the town.

Morpeth High Street is currently under about 2ft of water and two bridges in the town were also closed.

The Environment Agency currently has seven severe flood warnings in force, all in the North East of England, and 101 flood warnings in England and Wales.

The EA said the wet summer had not helped the situation, as it meant soils in many places were already saturated and unable to absorb any more rainwater.

MeteoGroup said that while Britain was over the worst of the current storms, there would be more rain on the east coast.

Forecaster Tom Tobler said: "There will be more rain today, but it will be showers rather than the persistent rain of the last few days.

"It will be mostly down the east side of the UK. In some places there will be heavy bursts of rain."

The 17-year-old girl, who died on Friday when the 4x4 she was in plunged into floodwater in a remote area of forestry in Powys, mid Wales, was from the Thamesmead area of south London, police said.

A 27-year-old man died when a muddy trench he was working in collapsed at a building site in Stroud yesterday, a spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said.

The man, from Cheltenham, was declared dead at the scene.

On Friday a man and a woman, named locally as Barry Rowe and Rebecca Hoynes, died when their vehicle collided with a tree.

The accident happened in Embankment Road, Plymouth, in heavy rain.

On Friday a 42-year-old Sheffield man was killed when the Kawasaki motorbike he was riding hit a tree branch on the A66 near Scotch Corner.

• Email Story
• IM Story
• Printable View
• Blog This
• Post a Comment

Sponsored Links

(What’s this?)