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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2015/dec/07/storm-desmond-cameron-to-chair-emergency-meeting-live-updates
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Storm Desmond: Cameron to chair emergency meeting – live updates | Storm Desmond: Cameron to chair emergency meeting – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.22am GMT09:22 | |
| Lifeboats are being deployed in the Cumbrian town of Warwick Road to help evacuate people from their homes. | |
| Cumbria Police sent out this alert: | |
| In the next 15 minutes boats from the RNLI will be going up and down Warwick Road using loudspeakers to try and communicate with any residents that need evacuation from their properties. | |
| If residents who in need of evacuation could make themselves available to the RNLI boats they can be safely evacuated from their homes. | |
| 9.07am GMT09:07 | |
| If you’ve been affected by the flooding, GuardianWitness would like to hear from you. | |
| Has your community been flooded? Are you without power or water? Are you unable to go to work, or are your children off school? You can share your videos and images of your experience via GuardianWitness. | |
| Related: Storm Desmond: how has it affected you? | |
| 8.57am GMT08:57 | |
| 7,408 homes still without power | |
| Electricity North West appears to have made some progress restoring power to homes in the north-west but more than 7,400 homes remain cut off. | |
| We're still working hard to restore power to the final 4,751 properties in #Lancaster and 2,657 in Cumbria. #cumbriafloods | |
| Steve Cox, Electricity North West’s incident manager, said: “While we still have a significant amount of work to do to fully repair the substation, our teams have worked round the clock and done enough to restore power to a large number of customers earlier than expected.“Rather than wait any longer for the full repair and restoration of the site, we have chosen to provide power at the earliest opportunity.” | |
| Cox told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that power had been restored to the Lancaster General hospital but the Cumberland Royal Infirmary in Carlisle is currently being powered by a generator. | |
| Updated at 9.04am GMT | |
| 8.48am GMT08:48 | 8.48am GMT08:48 |
| The A69 road in Cumbria between Brampton and the M6 motorway remains closed because of flooding from the River Eden at Warwick Bridge. | The A69 road in Cumbria between Brampton and the M6 motorway remains closed because of flooding from the River Eden at Warwick Bridge. |
| But the Highways Agency, which insists on calling drivers “customers”, has announced that A66 between Keswick and Cockermouth has reopened. | |
| Updated at 8.55am GMT | |
| 8.36am GMT08:36 | 8.36am GMT08:36 |
| Environment Agency to review response to floods | Environment Agency to review response to floods |
| Sir James Bevan, the new chief executive of the Environment Agency, said his organisation will review its response to the floods. | Sir James Bevan, the new chief executive of the Environment Agency, said his organisation will review its response to the floods. |
| But speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme he pointed out that rain levels over the weekend were unprecedented and that the EA could “never completely protect all communities”. | But speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme he pointed out that rain levels over the weekend were unprecedented and that the EA could “never completely protect all communities”. |
| He said: “We will review what happened and learn the lessons for the future.” | He said: “We will review what happened and learn the lessons for the future.” |
| He added: “You can never prevent all flooding. That’s why we prefer to talk about managing the risk.” | He added: “You can never prevent all flooding. That’s why we prefer to talk about managing the risk.” |
| He insisted the EA does have enough resources to deal with flood defences, but that it would have to make efficiency savings. “We have that confirmed capital investment of £2.3bn,” Bevan said. | He insisted the EA does have enough resources to deal with flood defences, but that it would have to make efficiency savings. “We have that confirmed capital investment of £2.3bn,” Bevan said. |
| Asked about criticism by the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, that the EA had shelved hundreds of flood-defence schemes, Bevan said: “We are keen to prioritise. We can’t do them all simultaneously.” | Asked about criticism by the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, that the EA had shelved hundreds of flood-defence schemes, Bevan said: “We are keen to prioritise. We can’t do them all simultaneously.” |
| Updated at 8.46am GMT | Updated at 8.46am GMT |
| 8.16am GMT08:16 | 8.16am GMT08:16 |
| Anger is mounting at the failure of flood defences. | Anger is mounting at the failure of flood defences. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Cumbria County Council’s leader, Stewart Young, said: “There does need to be an investigation into the flood defences. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Cumbria County Council’s leader, Stewart Young, said: “There does need to be an investigation into the flood defences. |
| “I will be talking to our local MPs later today and if the Environment Agency needs to revisit them then that’s what’s going to have to happen because we can’t continue to have events like this in Cumbria – we just won’t be able to cope.” | “I will be talking to our local MPs later today and if the Environment Agency needs to revisit them then that’s what’s going to have to happen because we can’t continue to have events like this in Cumbria – we just won’t be able to cope.” |
| Environmental campaigner George Monbiot wants to see more discussion on the causes of the flooding. | Environmental campaigner George Monbiot wants to see more discussion on the causes of the flooding. |
| And NO discussion of watersheds and upstream river management. News reporting at its worst: all spectacle and no explanation. #flooding | And NO discussion of watersheds and upstream river management. News reporting at its worst: all spectacle and no explanation. #flooding |
| Updated at 8.40am GMT | Updated at 8.40am GMT |
| 8.07am GMT08:07 | 8.07am GMT08:07 |
| Electricity North West said 40,000 homes in its region should have power restored by Monday evening. In a statement it said: | Electricity North West said 40,000 homes in its region should have power restored by Monday evening. In a statement it said: |
| “Using generators from across the UK, engineers have restored power to 11,000 homes in Lancaster and aim to restore another 4,000 later this morning. | “Using generators from across the UK, engineers have restored power to 11,000 homes in Lancaster and aim to restore another 4,000 later this morning. |
| “Engineers are working round the clock in shifts to repair damage caused to the area’s main substation which flooded on Saturday night. The remaining 40,000 properties should be restored by re-energising the substation by Monday evening.” | “Engineers are working round the clock in shifts to repair damage caused to the area’s main substation which flooded on Saturday night. The remaining 40,000 properties should be restored by re-energising the substation by Monday evening.” |
| The statement said that 2,685 properties in Cumbria remained without power because of 11 separate faults caused by flooding, with flood water preventing engineers from getting to the sites to carry out repairs. | The statement said that 2,685 properties in Cumbria remained without power because of 11 separate faults caused by flooding, with flood water preventing engineers from getting to the sites to carry out repairs. |
| Electricity North West’s incident manager, Steve Cox, said: “We’ve had engineers on boats working with the emergency services to try and access faults in Cumbria, and we’ve seen sterling efforts from teams in Lancaster to repair the damaged substation, while others connect generators to speed up restoration to customers.” | Electricity North West’s incident manager, Steve Cox, said: “We’ve had engineers on boats working with the emergency services to try and access faults in Cumbria, and we’ve seen sterling efforts from teams in Lancaster to repair the damaged substation, while others connect generators to speed up restoration to customers.” |
| Updated at 8.37am GMT | Updated at 8.37am GMT |
| 7.57am GMT07:57 | 7.57am GMT07:57 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Welcome to live coverage on the aftermath of the flooding caused by Storm Desmond. | Welcome to live coverage on the aftermath of the flooding caused by Storm Desmond. |
| Here’s a roundup of how things currently stand: | Here’s a roundup of how things currently stand: |
| Updated at 8.37am GMT | Updated at 8.37am GMT |