UK floods claim second victim as emergency supplies delivered

MARTIN WAINWRIGHT

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS claimed a second victim yesterday in Devon, southwest England, as emergency medical supplies and food parcels were sent to communities marooned by floods in Cumbria, northern England, and rescue teams searched the swollen river Usk in Wales for a missing woman.

Hundreds of police, soldiers and volunteers were in action along Britain’s western seaboard, as a second slow-moving weather front unloaded hours’ more rain from Dartmoor in the south to the Scottish border, with even more expected this week.

Engineers are examining 1,800 bridges in Cumbria, where six have collapsed after the floods on the rivers Cocker and Derwent, which meet at Cockermouth. The county council estimates damage to property and infrastructure as at least £75 million (€83 million), with detailed surveys likely to take weeks to reach a final bill. The insurance bill for Cumbria could reach £100 million. Police taped off the centre of Cockermouth yesterday, as 13 buildings were declared in danger of collapse.

The port of Workington, already inundated by Thursday night’s record cloudburst, was cut in half when a crack in the central arch of Calva bridge widened to more than six inches and the roadway slumped by a foot. Hundreds of people have been left stranded on the Northside housing estate, where the area’s Labour MP, John Cunningham, appealed for supplies of food and medicines.

A canoeist died after being trapped under a fallen tree in the river Dart. Chris Wheeler’s body was recovered after a mountain rescue team had trekked for two hours through storms.

Two inshore rescue craft were launched on the Usk near Brecon after witnesses saw a woman being swept away by floodwater.

A Sea King helicopter and dog teams joined the search, while other RAF helicopters remained on alert near Workington and Cockermouth, whose main street finally emerged from 2.5 metre (8ft) floods, littered with smashed trees, abandoned cars and ruined goods from local shops.

The government has promised an extra £1 million in emergency reconstruction aid, matching a pledge from the northwest regional development association.

Proposals are gathering pace to rename the replacement for Workington’s vanished Northside bridge after policeman Bill Barker, the father of four who was swept into the Derwent while directing traffic away.

The UK Environment Agency said four severe flood warnings had been issued for Cumbria. In the rest of the UK rain and strong winds are set to continue throughout the early part of the week. – (Guardian service)