July 2007
The sun is forecast to shine across much
of England Wednesday, illuminating flood waters that have risen to 60 year
highs. Prime Minister Gordon Brown blamed climate change for the
torrential rains that pounded the British Isles on Friday and through the
weekend, inundating vast stretches of southwest England and leaving more
than 50,000 homes without power.
In Gloucestershire, up to 350,000 people had no drinking water Monday
after a water treatment plant in in the city of Tewkesbury was flooded,
local police authorities said.
About 250 water tankers were deployed to bring drinking water to
Gloucester residents, who had stormed local markets in a panic to buy
bottled water.
Bottled water now is being distributed to residents and officials predict
it will be seven to 14 days before water services are restored.
Prime Minister Brown, who visited Gloucester Monday, said funds to tackle
the crisis would rise to 800 million pounds (US$1.6 billion).
Brown said the heavy rains and floods in Britain over the past month are
related to climate change. "Like every advanced industrialized country, we
are coming to terms with the issues surrounding climate change," he said.
"We're looking, if you like, at 21st Century extreme weather conditions,"
he said.
Responding to criticism that flood defenses are inadequate, Brown said,
"We're going to have to look at how the infrastructure and how the
drainage, how also the location of certain utilities is in order with the
conditions we now face in the 21st Century."
A major power outage was narrowly averted late Monday night when
floodwaters lapping around Gloucestershire's Walham Substation were held
back by temporary flood barriers brought in and erected by emergency
services personnel and the military.
Gloucestershire Chief Constable Dr. Tim Brain told reporters today, "The
critical situation at the Walham substation was held overnight, that
crisis was past just before midnight, and it has continued to function and
supply electricity to the Gloucester area and beyond. Superhuman efforts
were made by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, the military and
engineers involved to make this possible."
"The emergency is not over, water is still high around Walham and there is
a prospect of further peaks and the problem of retained water in the
Severn basin is going to give problems for several days to come," the
chief constable said.
With regard to the Mythe Water Treatment works, GFRS and engineers of
Severn Trent are beginning the process of inspection and making the plant
safe," he said. "This will be a two day process and the current prognosis
of water supplies returning remains seven to 14 days."
The Environment Agency said river levels on the Severn in Gloucester have
reached their peak. The agency says water levels on the Thames in Oxford
and Reading are not expected to peak until Wednesday morning.
Severe flood warnings remain in place for the British Midlands, and the
counties of Oxfordshire and Befordshire.
Phil Rothwell, Environment Agency Head of Flood Risk Policy, warned,
"Flash flooding in recent days and weeks has been very sudden and has
often occurred in areas where there were previously few flooding incidents
in living memory. Therefore, everyone should stay fully aware of the
weather situation. Where there is the danger of rivers rising people
should check for flood warnings in their area."
Lessons "will be learnt" from the "extreme weather" that has affected
large parts of England this month, Prime Minister Brown said today.
Brown said, "I have just come from a meeting of the emergency committee
COBRA and the Cabinet where we have heard at first hand not only of the
heroic efforts of the emergency services, our armed forces and communities
themselves who are battling the flood waters, but also of their success in
restoring power to some of the homes without it and preventing others from
losing their electricity supply. We will continue to do all we can to help
those affected."
The prime minister praised beleaguered flood victims for their courage and
selflessness.
"In response to the unprecedented floods and their aftermath we have seen
again and again what we witnessed a week or two ago throughout Yorkshire
and Humberside: neighbor helping neighbor; young helping old; those with
transport helping those who are stranded; and doing so selflessly."
The Prime Minister's Spokesman said today that the government is
considering applying to the European Union for financial assistance for
flood recovery.
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