Monday, December 7, 2015

Storm Desmond: Schools and hospitals closed as disruption continues



Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Hundreds of residents in Carlisle have been evacuated by emergency service boats
Schools and hospital services have been closed in parts of northern England as emergency services continue to battle against the effects of Storm Desmond.
Thousands of homes in Cumbria are still without power while the Army spent a second day evacuating people across Carlisle, Keswick and Appleby.
Heavy rain and winds subsided on Sunday, but more "persistent" downfalls have been forecast later in the week.
David Cameron said everything was being done to prevent further damage.
The prime minister is due to chair an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday to discuss the response to the flooding.
Follow live updates for Storm Desmond
Latest on flooding in Cumbria
As well as getting the latest updates on flooding and the work of the rescue services it is also expected to discuss future flood defences and the insurance industry.
The government has faced criticism after multi-million pound defences built following devastating floods in 2005 failed to keep the deluge out from people's homes in Cumbria - prompting the county to declare a major incident.
About 55,000 homes were left without power after a substation was flooded in Lancaster during the storm. Electricity North West said 45,000 homes in Lancaster, Morecambe and the surrounding area had now had their supplies reconnected.
In Carlisle, about 2,500 properties remain flooded, said Supt Mark Pannone, of Cumbria Police. He also said the rail network in Cumbria remained "basically at a standstill".
Stewart Young, leader of Cumbria County Council, said there needed to be an investigation into the flood defences.
He said: "I'll be talking to our local MPs later today and, if we need to, the Environment Agency needs to revisit them [flood defences]. That's what's going to have to happen because we can't continue to have events like this."
Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, said the industry was "mobilising a small army" of claims managers and others to help those affected by the flooding.
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption In Keswick people began to clean up the flood damage
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Debris has been left behind after the strong wind and heavy rain
In other developments:
The disruption has also led to the cancellation of appointments and routine services across NHS hospitals and services. The Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has said it will only be running essential services.
Cumberland Infirmary and Royal Lancaster Infirmary are being powered by back-up generators, resulting in non-emergency operations and clinics being cancelled on Monday.
Westmorland General Hospital and the Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe have also cancelled all routine out-patient appointments
Media captionHelicopter footage reveals the scale of widespread flooding in Cumbria as flood waters reach their peak in the wake of Storm Desmond
Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Note: the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency display their flood alert data differently. While the Environment Agency highlights individual rivers only, in Scotland the entire region is coloured to indicate the level of alert.
This map and flood alert data are supplied to the BBC by third parties. The BBC is not responsible for its accuracy and you use it at your own risk.

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