Hundreds of homes evacuated as flooding crisis hits York

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 15 flood warnings in the Scottish borders and Tayside areas, as well as a number of flood alerts.

Rivers in York, Leeds and Manchester have burst their banks, leaving properties under water and causing hundreds of people to be evacuated from their homes just days after Christmas.

Residents in York city centre, Huntington, Tang Hall, Osbaldwick and Foss Island were advised to start moving valuables to upper floors and to prepare to be evacuated.

The EA’s’s decision to open the barrier sent flood water coursing through the city streets and left many property owners wondering whether their buildings were put at risk to save others.

Search and rescue teams are on standby as up to 3500 properties could be at risk, the BBC reports, and rivers are yet to reach their peak levels, which is expected to happen on Monday.

Mr Cameron, who chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on the “unprecedented flooding” this weekend, said: “My sympathy for those affected at this time of year”.

Members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue and soldiers from 2 Battalion The Duke of Lancasters Regiment assist members of the public as they are evacuated from the Queens Hotel in York city centre as the River Ouse floods on December 27, 2015 in York, England.

The EA said it issued a flood warning within minutes of opening the barrier, giving residents “around an hour’s notice” before the first flooding began.

North Yorkshire Police said they have run out of “road closed” signs, writing in a tweet: “Several calls from people that have driven into floodwater, we have run out of road closed signs, don’t enter floodwater, avoid flooded roads”.

The Environment Agency warned that water levels could continue to rise through Sunday after a key flood defence had to be lifted.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said it was dealing with “unprecedented” levels of flooding. Some 500 British troops have been helping with the widespread evacuation of towns and cities across the region.

“Provisions are in place across multi-agencies following overwhelming river levels for the Foss and Ouse”.

The River Aire in Leeds was predicted by the Environment Agency to have reached “record levels” at 23:00 GMT on Saturday, with nine severe flood warnings in place.

“The decision has been taken to lift the Foss Barrier, as if it fails in the down position, water will be unable to discharge into the River Ouse”.

Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts are still in place across England and Wales.

On the same day, York Outer MP Julian Sturdy met with the Environment Secretary Liz Truss to discuss what can be done to help residents and businesses in the aftermath of the floods.

“We’re still in a situation with major flood warnings, people need to look at the latest advice from the Environment Agency, from the emergency services”.

She said: “Why on earth have they not maintained it?”