British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited flood-ravaged Cumbria in northern England on Saturday, pledging extra support for those affected, as the scale of the destruction started to become clear.
As safety inspections began on the county’s 1,800 bridges following the death of police officer Bill Barker, the prime minister announced a £1 million (US$1.6 million) relief package to help Cumbria deal with the crisis.
Scores of people in the county were due to spend a third night away from home as lowering flood waters revealed the devastation in the center of Cockermouth, one of the worst-hit towns.
HERO
Brown, visiting the town, expressed his sympathy for the predicament of its residents and described Barker to locals as a “very brave and heroic man.”
The police officer, who would have celebrated his 45th birthday yesterday, was directing motorists away from Northside bridge at Workington when it collapsed.
Cumbria County Council said yesterday that the bridge was inspected last July and found to be “structurally sound.”
The prime minister met flooded-out residents taking shelter at the town’s Shepherd’s hotel, a makeshift reception center for those unable to return home.
Ann Burns, 76, who has spent two nights at the center, said she was pleased to see the prime minister: “I was one of the first ones evacuated and taken here. I hardly know what day it is. I’m not bothered, I’m still breathing.”
‘HOPELESS’
Doris Studholme, 88, said: “This is the second time I have been flooded out.”
“In 2005, I was out of my home for six months. This time it’s hopeless. I don’t know when I will get back home,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency revealed that it would launch an immediate appraisal of last week’s floods.
David Jordan, director of operations for the agency, told the Observer: “We need to look very quickly and very carefully to see what lessons can be learned. As always, we will learn from this both in the local and national context.”
MORE RAIN
As heavy rains returned to the UK on Saturday, 23 flood warnings were issued across northern England, Scotland and Wales. In Cumbria four “severe” warnings were put in place. Forecasters said between 20mm and 40mm of rain was likely over western parts of the UK in the 24-hour period from 6am on Saturday, with up to 50mm on the highest ground.
They predicted that showers were likely to give river levels a “temporary upward blip.”
IRELAND
Ireland battled floods on Saturday described as a “once-in-800 -years event”, with the government rushing to provide shelter and drinking water and soldiers sent to assist those affected.
Rivers burst their banks, coastal towns were threatened by sea flooding, 18,000 households were left without water in Cork, Ireland’s second city — and forecasters warned of more heavy rain to come.
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