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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 2 | Version 3 |
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| Storm Desmond: Cameron to visit flood-hit areas – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.55am GMT09:55 | |
| West Coast mainline to remain closed for 'several days' | |
| The West Coast mainline north between Carlisle and Glasgow will remain closed for several days after eight feet of water flooded the railway, according to Network Rail. | |
| In a statement it said: | |
| The depth of the water has reached its peak, but it is not expected to clear until Tuesday. A full assessment of the damage will take place as soon as the water recedes and everything done to reopen the railway as quickly as possible. A number of safety-critical cabinets, which house complex electrical equipment, are currently submerged and will have to be rebuilt once it is safe to do so. | |
| Railway lines in the region are being checked by trains manned by engineers with chainsaws and equipment to remove fallen trees and make repairs. | |
| Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “North of Carlisle station, we have to wait for eight feet of water to recede before we can carry out extensive safety checks and repairs – including rebuilding a host of complex electrical and signalling equipment which is currently underwater. This, coupled with dozens of other sites which have been flooded or damaged, means we have a lot of work to do to ensure the railway is safe and able to be used.” | |
| Flooded West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle station to stay closed for days https://t.co/5D6uwFbxno pic.twitter.com/AkH6dhyuMJ | |
| Updated at 10.01am GMT | |
| 9.45am GMT09:45 | |
| Power restored to all homes in Lancaster | |
| Power has been restored to all the homes in Lancaster, according Electricity North West. | |
| All supplies back on in #Lancaster! Thanks for all your tweets and understanding everyone. All 55,000 of you should now be restored. | |
| Earlier the company said it was working to restore power to almost 5,000 homes in the city. | |
| 9.33am GMT09:33 | |
| Cameron to visit flood-hit areas | |
| David Cameron is to visit affected areas after chairing a meeting of the government’s emergency committee. | |
| The government is also due to make a statement in parliament about the floods. | |
| I've just chaired a COBRA meeting on the floods. There'll be further announcements this morning - and later I will visit badly hit areas. | |
| Updated at 9.36am GMT | |
| 9.30am GMT09:30 | |
| The Eden Bridge on the old A66 near Temple Sowerby has been closed because of flood damage. | |
| Images of the bridge showed water levels almost up to the road. | |
| Police have urged the public not to walk or drive across any bridges that are under water. | |
| As the water subsides the bridges will be checked by highway engineers and declared safe before they can be used, Cumbria police said. | |
| Old a66 near temple sowerby. pic.twitter.com/A0H7Rhhiyz | |
| Updated at 10.02am GMT | |
| 9.22am GMT09:22 | 9.22am GMT09:22 |
| Lifeboats are being deployed to the Warwick Road area of Carlisle to help evacuate people from their homes. | |
| Cumbria Police sent out this alert: | 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. | 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. | If residents who in need of evacuation could make themselves available to the RNLI boats they can be safely evacuated from their homes. |
| Updated at 10.00am GMT | |
| 9.07am GMT09:07 | 9.07am GMT09:07 |
| If you’ve been affected by the flooding, GuardianWitness would like to hear from you. | 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. | 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? | Related: Storm Desmond: how has it affected you? |
| 8.57am GMT08:57 | 8.57am GMT08:57 |
| 7,408 homes still without power | 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. | 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 | 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.” | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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 |