UK gov’t to hold emergency session on flooding in north

Forecasts for the area called for the rain to ease over the coming days before more downpours arrive next week.

Police in the York area 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of London advised more than 300 people to leave their homes because of rising river waters.

Some 24 flood warnings are in place in the North East – warning of a risk to life – while there are a further 115 flood warnings and 102 flood alerts across Wales and much of western England. The additional personnel are being deployed on Sunday while another 1,500 are on standby in Yorkshire. He said: “We have resources active across the county with a focus on life risk”.

Members of the army and rescue teams help evacuate people from flooded properties after they became trapped by rising floodwater when the River Ouse bursts its banks in York city center Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015.

Speaking after seeing some of the damage for herself in Leeds and York, Environment Secretary Liz Truss told The Yorkshire Post the Government was making the same support available for residents and business in Yorkshire that was offered to Cumbria after recent flooding.

The Met Office said: “Very severe weather conditions are expected”.

The Environment Agency said in a statement that it is advising residents in Yorkshire and Lancashire to prepare themselves for further flooding.

A second red weather warning – danger to life – has been issued by the Met Office as Lancashire and Yorkshire are hit by severe floods. That’s really important because in many places we have not yet reached the high point.

She said: “It’s absolutely frightful to see people’s possessions, Christmas presents, children’s toys, in skips, lying in the street”.

Major flooding is happening across the United Kingdom, specifically in Wales, Scotland and northern England.

Lisa Pallister, 36, made a decision to leave her home in York with her family as flood waters rose.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said that after the latest run of bad weather the agency will talk to the communities affected to look at how they can be better protected in the future.

In addition to the homes and businesses flooded, thousands more people experienced power cuts and travel disruption as roads were blocked.

David Cameron is to chair an emergency meeting as more than 8,000 homes remain without power following unprecedented rainfall in the north of England.

Similarly, Greater Manchester has been on flood alert after torrential rain throughout the night.

“There are still a number of substations that are flooded and we can’t get access, but as soon as the water recedes then we have teams ready to go in and check the damage and make repairs”. I’ve got the sandbags down here and just doing the best I possibly can.