Thousands evacuated as Brits face worst flooding in 200 YEARS with 4ins tomorrow and four days of ‘severe’ rain to come
THOUSANDS of Brits have been evacuated from their homes amid the worst flooding in 200 years – with four more inches of rain set to hit tomorrow.
The River Wye and River Trent have burst their banks after struggling to contain the highest water levels on record following a double battering of storms.
Mountain Rescue team members attempt to rescue a man from his house that is surrounded by heavy flood water in Monmouth[/caption]
A wave crashes over a man taking pictures on the lower promenade at Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear[/caption]
The Met Office has warned of four days of “severe” rain still to come, as sodden Brits have been left with flooded homes and devastation from storms Dennis and Ciara.
Rescuers have pulled OAPs from care homes and ferried stranded residents to safety on inflatable boats in Wales and northern England.
An expert has warned the country is facing a “national emergency”, as ten “danger to life” flood warnings are issued.
Environmental scientist Angela Terry told the Mirror: “Sending the army to fill sandbags is a sticking plaster.
“As temperatures rise, the atmosphere can hold more water so downpours are more intense – 7 per cent more for every degree celsius temperature increase – so flooding will increase.
“We are currently in a national emergency.”
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings from tomorrow until Saturday morning, with already drenched parts of Wales and northern England bracing for 100mm of rain in 24 hours.
Wet weather is due to continue for the next four days, as Brits struggle to cope with the onslaught of two storms in two weekends.
FLOODY HELL
It comes after five people died in the flooding and rough seas as Storm Dennis rampaged through the country.
Yvonne Booth, 55, was swept into floodwater near a bridge which crosses the River Teme, near Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, on Sunday as the number of flood warnings hit an all-time record.
As the Environment Agency issues more than 400 flood alerts and warnings in the wake of the weekend’s storm, it’s chief has warned the devastation is “not yet over”.
Sir James Bevan said: “Something has changed. The climate emergency is driving more violent weather, higher seas and heavier rainfall. We need an approach.”
Communities across the country are counting the cost of the weekend’s storm, which has left hundreds of properties flooded.
People have been driven out of their devastated homes, as a care home in Whitchurch today was “overcome by flooding” and the town of Ironbridge was evacuated.
York has 4,000 sandbags placed around the city to try and combat the rising river, with residents being told the country is “not out of the woods yet”.
Terrifying footage showed cars submerged over the weekend while landslides hit areas around South Wales.
One stranded family was rescued by climbing through a window of their home into the bucket of a farmer’s tractor.
And in Cardiff, staff at a care company watched as the contents of their flooded office was loaded into a tipper lorry and taken to the dump.
The River Wye reached its highest levels on record on Monday, peaking at more than six metres, with the EA describing levels as “exceptional”.
And today the River Trent peaked today at just below four metres – breaking another record.
Severe flood warnings have been issued for the River Severn at Upton upon Severn and Uckinghall, the River Wye at Hereford and Hampton Bishop, the River Trent at Burton upon Trent and the River Lugg at Hampton Bishop.
As temperatures rise, the atmosphere can hold more water so downpours are more intense – 7 per cent more for every degree celsius temperature increase – so flooding will increase. We are currently in a national emergency.
Angela Terry
In Wales, there are two severe warnings in place on the River Wye at Monmouth – where homes have been evacuated and people have been urged to limit water use due to the flooding.
Today Brits can expect another windy day with some sunshine and heavy showers. Hilly spots might see some snowy showers with hail and thunder, as the temperature feels chilly.
EA manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Dave Throup tweeted on Monday night: “I’ve seen things today I would not have believed. Large parts of my home town and village are underwater tonight.
“This is not normal flooding, we are in uncharted territory.”
Boris Johnson has faced calls to chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra to tackle the flooding crisis.
Superintendent Sue Thomas, the Local Policing Commander for Herefordshire and head of the emergency flooding response team, said: “We still very much in an emergency phase.
“Whilst the rivers going through Hereford city have gone down significantly, we are still concerned about the River Lugg and River Wye towards Symonds Yat so there’s still a lot to do.”
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said Tuesday will bring a brief respite from the worst of the weather for most of the UK, with sunny spells and showers, but warned areas of Wales could see downpours.
“With the ground being so saturated, it’s not going to help the situation,” he said.
“And there’s more persistent rain coming on Wednesday. There will be wet and windy weather across the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, with the heavy rain coming back.”
Flood resilience expert warns people to protect mental health over homes
As hundreds of homes are evacuated amid severe flood warnings, a flood resilience expert from Kingston University is warning people facing imminent floods to protect their mental health as well as their property.
Dr Tim Harries, senior research fellow at Kingston Business School, said: “It’s extremely stressful to stay in your home and watch the water come rushing in, so you should do what you can to protect your home and move possessions out of reach of the water – but then get out.
“You should prioritise the most precious items – those with emotional value that cannot be replaced, such as photo albums or a child’s favourite teddy bear.”
Paul Mason, group manager of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said the scene his team had faced over the weekend was the worst he had experienced in his 31-year career.
He said: “This weather is unprecedented We haven’t seen this, it’s incredible, and it’s right throughout the South Wales Valleys.
“In my 31 years in the service this is the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for snow and ice over parts of Scotland, with further warnings of persistent rain in Wales for Wednesday and Thursday, which could be extended to the north west of England.
And as Brits try to recover from the flooding danger, there are already fears that another storm – Storm Ellen – is brewing.
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Met Office meteorologist Bonnie Diamond told the Sun Online: “The good news is that Storm Dennis has cleared away.
“However, just because it has stopped raining doesn’t mean the floods will recede immediately and we will still have to cope with the amount of rain that fell over the weekend.”
Ms Diamond warned heavy showers are expected to hit from Tuesday evening across Wales and Northern England – but that the band of rain is not expected to turn into Storm Ellen just yet.
Traffic on the A938 near Carrbridge this morning as blizzards hit the Highlands today[/caption]
Snow has hit Scotland today as wintry weather sweeps in over the country[/caption]
The Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings today as the bad weather continues[/caption]
The Army has been brought in to help residents in Hereford cope with the flooding[/caption]
The water levels have risen dramatically in the wake of Storm Dennis this weekend[/caption]
Flooded cottages in Monmouth, in the aftermath of Storm Dennis – residents have been evacuated[/caption]
Aerial view of Worcester this morning where vast areas of the city, sit submerged in water in the aftermath of storm Dennis[/caption]
DPD delivery van marooned in flood water caused by Storm Dennis in Fordingbridge, Hants[/caption]