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| Storm Desmond: Schools, hospitals and transport disrupted by flooding | Storm Desmond: Schools, hospitals and transport disrupted by flooding |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Schools, hospital services and travel have been disrupted after Storm Desmond brought winds, torrential rain and flooding to parts of the UK. | |
| In Cumbria, the county worst-hit by flooding, police said a man's body had been found in a river near Kendal. | |
| More than 2,500 homes are without power in Cumbria, where rescue workers are spending a third day evacuating people from flooded homes. | More than 2,500 homes are without power in Cumbria, where rescue workers are spending a third day evacuating people from flooded homes. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron said he would visit flood-hit areas later. | Prime Minister David Cameron said he would visit flood-hit areas later. |
| Mr Cameron chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency response committee on Monday morning, while Environment Secretary Liz Truss is due to address the House of Commons later and outline further government support for people affected by the storm. | Mr Cameron chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency response committee on Monday morning, while Environment Secretary Liz Truss is due to address the House of Commons later and outline further government support for people affected by the storm. |
| A Cumbria Police statement said officers, along with an underwater search team, were working to recover the body found in a search of the River Kent. | |
| The search had been launched after reports on Sunday morning that an elderly man had fallen in to the water, the statement added. | |
| Follow live updates for Storm Desmond | Follow live updates for Storm Desmond |
| Latest on flooding in Cumbria | Latest on flooding in Cumbria |
| The government has faced criticism after multimillion-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. | The government has faced criticism after multimillion-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. |
| Floods minister Rory Stewart, in Carlisle, said: "When you face, as we have now, probably the highest rainfall we have ever had in the United Kingdom, it is going to come over the top of defences. | Floods minister Rory Stewart, in Carlisle, said: "When you face, as we have now, probably the highest rainfall we have ever had in the United Kingdom, it is going to come over the top of defences. |
| "But what the defences do do is they slow it down, it gives us more time, it's given people here more time to evacuate safely, and it's meant that there's less water on the streets than there would have been if we hadn't had that defence in place." | |
| At the scene | |
| By Danny Savage, BBC north of England correspondent | |
| It's getting better in Carlisle but it's a long way from being over. The water in the Warwick Road area of the city is receding and the perimeter of the flood zone has shrunk. | |
| But 36 hours on, people are still being rescued. Lifeboat crews say these are mainly people who thought they would tough it out at home but have finally decided enough is enough. | |
| Where the water has drained away, residents are now assessing the damage. Soaking carpets are being pulled up and ruined belongings thrown away. | |
| And they know what's ahead. It will take months to dry out these homes and people here are well acquainted with the long miserable experience. | |
| Mr Stewart said the government was spending £2.3bn on flood defences during this parliament, and that it would look again at the models used for planning for floods. | |
| Electricity North West said on Monday morning that power had been restored to all but 300 of 55,000 homes in Lancaster and the surrounding area that had lost supply late on Saturday after a substation was flooded during the storm. | Electricity North West said on Monday morning that power had been restored to all but 300 of 55,000 homes in Lancaster and the surrounding area that had lost supply late on Saturday after a substation was flooded during the storm. |
| In Carlisle, about 2,500 properties remained flooded, said Supt Mark Pannone, of Cumbria Police. He also said the rail network in Cumbria remained "basically at a standstill". | |
| 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. | 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 is being powered by a back-up generator, while Royal Lancaster Infirmary had also been relying on a generator but has since had power restored. There are cancellations to non-emergency operations and clinics at both sites on Monday. | Cumberland Infirmary is being powered by a back-up generator, while Royal Lancaster Infirmary had also been relying on a generator but has since had power restored. There are cancellations to non-emergency operations and clinics at both sites on Monday. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| Keswick resident Rich Gale experienced previous floods in 2005 and 2009, but said he had felt "reasonably safe" since the Environment Agency extended the town's flood defence wall and he added protection to his own home. | Keswick resident Rich Gale experienced previous floods in 2005 and 2009, but said he had felt "reasonably safe" since the Environment Agency extended the town's flood defence wall and he added protection to his own home. |
| But he said: "We stayed in our house because after the 2009 flood we bought flood defences for our home so we thought we'd better stay in and try and mop up any leaks that come in, but we just got overwhelmed and we ended up leaving our house." | But he said: "We stayed in our house because after the 2009 flood we bought flood defences for our home so we thought we'd better stay in and try and mop up any leaks that come in, but we just got overwhelmed and we ended up leaving our house." |
| Stewart Young, leader of Cumbria County Council, said there needed to be an investigation into the flood defences. | 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, we just won't be able to cope." | 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, we just won't be able to cope." |
| 'Unprecedented event' | |
| John Leyland, deputy director of operations at the Environment Agency, said the volume of rainfall had been an "unprecedented event... beyond the forecasts and beyond the models". | John Leyland, deputy director of operations at the Environment Agency, said the volume of rainfall had been an "unprecedented event... beyond the forecasts and beyond the models". |
| The model the EA uses which triggers flood warnings does not account for persistent heavy rain, Mr Leyland added, so the agency was now going to look again at that model. | The model the EA uses which triggers flood warnings does not account for persistent heavy rain, Mr Leyland added, so the agency was now going to look again at that model. |
| He told BBC Radio Cumbria: "Unfortunately the flood defences were just not going to be able to protect every single property." | He told BBC Radio Cumbria: "Unfortunately the flood defences were just not going to be able to protect every single property." |
| 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. | 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. |
| Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. | Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. |
| Have you been affected by Storm Desmond? You can share your comments and experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you been affected by Storm Desmond? You can share your comments and experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below: | Or use the form below: |