Ok where we live (so far) but a few miles north and you need a rudder on the back of the car. I was stuck in a traffic jam yesterday (road closed by a mudslide) and considered completing my journey by canoe! Rivers Lune and Kent both raging torrents.
A good friend of mine was flooded out in York a couple of years ago - the water did an awful lot of damage but the stinking mud left behind was by far the worst.
Cumbria has been battered by torrential rain over the last 48 hours
Luckily Carlisle's flood defences have not been breached yet, rivers eden, caldew and petteril have busrt their banks but the new defencesa are coping.
I feel so sorry for the people in Cockermouth, Keswick, Ambleside, Troutbeck, Coniston, Workington and Buttermere who have been flooded
The A66 west has been closed at Bassenthwaite Lake which has spilled over the lakeshore and submerged the road
Dreadful news from Workington about the the policeman who was swept away by the floods
A body has been recovered, no ID as yet but looks likely to be the policeman, also Workington's christmas light switch on has been cancelled as the town has been plunged into darkness
The rainfall is a record amount for England, The 2005 floods were appalling when Carlisle was devastated by the flooding and working in a psychiatric hospital I saw many traumatised people (old and young) need use of our services for up to a year or so afterwards, 3 people drowned that night in 2005, horrid horrid night.
I was fortunate in that I live on high ground and apart from the power cuts suffered no flooding
The after effects for my cumbrian neighbours who have suffered this week will be longstanding
Only earlier this year was Carlisle main Police station re buillt due to the old police station being completely destroyed
so for people who have had their homes or business wrecked they are going to have a long road back to normality
God bless them
That is absolutely dreadful CW. I think (hope) the thoughts of everyone will be with all the people affected there and with the family of the police officer, of course.
It must be horrendous up there, my thoughts are with them all
Sue
Its raining heavy again tonight up here
all cumbria's bridges are going to be inspected for safety
I drove over the motorway bridge M6 to the east of carlisle today and the river eden has turned the flood plain into a massive lake the new flood defences have not been breached but on thursday night the waters were just 2 ft off the top of the defence to the east of the city, the new defences on the river petterill has also held firm, both rivers have burst their banks and flooded acres upon acres of farmland and low lying countryside
I think the government should declare this as a national emergency and send more troops into Cumbria
to quickly build pontoon bridges to get assential supplies to the worst affected areas were communities have been completely cut off. Simply closing roads where bridges have gone or are in danger of collapse is not going to be good enough
So far the army has sent 25 soldiers to Workington at the request of Cumbria Police
Just seen the centre of Workington on Border TV and there is a nasty wind blowing debris around the deserted streets
Forecast for tomorrow is a respite from the rain but tuesday looks wet again
Agreed - it's a shame that the government have allowed the TA numbers to drop as we need people like them for these types of emergencies. The TA halls were also an ideal place for people to go if needed.