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| Flooded-out family of boy with cancer offered home by good samaritan | Flooded-out family of boy with cancer offered home by good samaritan |
| (1 day later) | |
| A good samaritan has come forward to offer a property to a couple with a son who has cancer after the family were forced out of their home in Cumbria by flooding. | A good samaritan has come forward to offer a property to a couple with a son who has cancer after the family were forced out of their home in Cumbria by flooding. |
| Andrew Williams, a self-employed window fitter, had to leave his house in Kendal on Tuesday when the water reached knee height. His wife was 80 miles away at Alder Hey hospital, where their 15-year-old son had received chemotherapy for osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer most common in teenagers and young adults. | |
| The family desperately needed a safe and clean environment for the teenager after their home was rendered uninhabitable. A local group called Carlisle Ambassadors found out about their predicament and spread the word on Twitter. | |
| Pse RT Family in #Kendal desperately need help - sharing in case any of you lovely folk can assist #spiritofCumbria pic.twitter.com/L76xcWw49L | Pse RT Family in #Kendal desperately need help - sharing in case any of you lovely folk can assist #spiritofCumbria pic.twitter.com/L76xcWw49L |
| Within hours, Williams heard from a letting agency that someone had offered a property on the other side of Kendal. “I just heard a few minutes ago that there is a home available – my wife’s going round to look at it,” he told the Guardian. The couple also have an 18-year-old daughter. | |
| Williams, who has lived in Kendal for 45 years, said the floodwater had come in quickly and soon reached knee height. | Williams, who has lived in Kendal for 45 years, said the floodwater had come in quickly and soon reached knee height. |
| “If I hadn’t brought the dogs in from the kennel they would have drowned,” said Williams, who was unsure when his family could move into the temporary accommodation. | “If I hadn’t brought the dogs in from the kennel they would have drowned,” said Williams, who was unsure when his family could move into the temporary accommodation. |
| Earlier this week, Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader who is MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, appealed to people who own second homes to show solidarity with flood victims. Farron pointed out that the Cumbrian area of South Lakeland had the third highest proportion of second homes of any local authority in the country. | Earlier this week, Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader who is MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, appealed to people who own second homes to show solidarity with flood victims. Farron pointed out that the Cumbrian area of South Lakeland had the third highest proportion of second homes of any local authority in the country. |
| Related: Kendal Cares: how Cumbrian town helps people left homeless by Storm Desmond | Related: Kendal Cares: how Cumbrian town helps people left homeless by Storm Desmond |
| The floods in Kendal have left about 1,400 people homeless and a clean-up bill of several millions. The Guardian has revealed that a flood defence scheme for the town, which was submerged in up to 1.5 metres of water by Storm Desmond, has been repeatedly postponed. | The floods in Kendal have left about 1,400 people homeless and a clean-up bill of several millions. The Guardian has revealed that a flood defence scheme for the town, which was submerged in up to 1.5 metres of water by Storm Desmond, has been repeatedly postponed. |
| The £4m project to protect 440 properties from flooding from the river Kent, which runs through the heart of the town, was in line for funding in 2011. But the Conservative-led government cut flood defence spending sharply that year. Kendal’s existing flood defence was built in the 1970s, but was overwhelmed by last weekend’s record rainfall. | The £4m project to protect 440 properties from flooding from the river Kent, which runs through the heart of the town, was in line for funding in 2011. But the Conservative-led government cut flood defence spending sharply that year. Kendal’s existing flood defence was built in the 1970s, but was overwhelmed by last weekend’s record rainfall. |
| In the village of Glenridding, residents had to clean up yet again after they were flooded for a second time. Rescue services, volunteers and the army rushed to the village on Wednesday night to rescue guests from the historic Glenridding hotel. Evacuees and rescuers had to dodge fridges and other household goods that had been left outside after the first flood and were floating away. | In the village of Glenridding, residents had to clean up yet again after they were flooded for a second time. Rescue services, volunteers and the army rushed to the village on Wednesday night to rescue guests from the historic Glenridding hotel. Evacuees and rescuers had to dodge fridges and other household goods that had been left outside after the first flood and were floating away. |
| Andrew Laverick, a shopkeeper, said residents had pulled together to clear the mud, silt and rubble left after the weekend but would now have to start again. “It’s all back with a vengeance, and it’s time to get the shovels out again,” he said. | Andrew Laverick, a shopkeeper, said residents had pulled together to clear the mud, silt and rubble left after the weekend but would now have to start again. “It’s all back with a vengeance, and it’s time to get the shovels out again,” he said. |
| There were large areas of surface water on the road network around Cumbria. Main roads including the A66 close to Greta bridge at Keswick were covered by water and drivers were warned to take extreme caution. Carlisle will in effect be split in two until at least the weekend. | There were large areas of surface water on the road network around Cumbria. Main roads including the A66 close to Greta bridge at Keswick were covered by water and drivers were warned to take extreme caution. Carlisle will in effect be split in two until at least the weekend. |
| Related: Cumbria is the wettest part of England: don't scrimp on flood defences | Related: Cumbria is the wettest part of England: don't scrimp on flood defences |
| In a brief visit to Carlisle, Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, praised the “impressive” community spirit he had witnessed. | In a brief visit to Carlisle, Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, praised the “impressive” community spirit he had witnessed. |
| “I met a guy, a white van man … dropped everything, got his van and he shifted things around, not charging anybody anything, won’t take any money. All he needs is his tea to keep him going,” he said. | “I met a guy, a white van man … dropped everything, got his van and he shifted things around, not charging anybody anything, won’t take any money. All he needs is his tea to keep him going,” he said. |
| Corbyn added: “When this broke I was actually in Paris for the climate change conference, and we as a world have got to wake up to what we are doing to this planet. Global warming does mean extreme weather patterns in large parts of the world, so we have to play our part by reducing emissions and therefore reducing the rising temperature.” | Corbyn added: “When this broke I was actually in Paris for the climate change conference, and we as a world have got to wake up to what we are doing to this planet. Global warming does mean extreme weather patterns in large parts of the world, so we have to play our part by reducing emissions and therefore reducing the rising temperature.” |
| As communities picked up the pieces, Greenpeace claimed that nine out of 20 brownfield sites earmarked for new homes under a flagship “housing zones” scheme announced by the chancellor, George Osborne, were at risk of flooding. | As communities picked up the pieces, Greenpeace claimed that nine out of 20 brownfield sites earmarked for new homes under a flagship “housing zones” scheme announced by the chancellor, George Osborne, were at risk of flooding. |
| A Greenpeace investigation found that 9,000 homes were planned for areas that are partially or fully exposed to a medium or high probability of flooding from rivers or the sea. According to the investigation, the zones include Hinkley in Bridgwater, Somerset, where 1,000 properties could be constructed in an area inundated by floods last year. In West Yorkshire, 1,200 new homes could be built on the banks of the river Aire near Castleford, which flooded last year. | A Greenpeace investigation found that 9,000 homes were planned for areas that are partially or fully exposed to a medium or high probability of flooding from rivers or the sea. According to the investigation, the zones include Hinkley in Bridgwater, Somerset, where 1,000 properties could be constructed in an area inundated by floods last year. In West Yorkshire, 1,200 new homes could be built on the banks of the river Aire near Castleford, which flooded last year. |
| • This article was amended on 11 December 2015 to remove some details at the request of the Williams family. |
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