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David Cameron Defends Flood Defense Record as Northern England Is Drenched David Cameron Defends Flood Record as Northern England Is Drenched
(about 5 hours later)
LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron walked the flooded streets of York on Monday as Britain’s Environmental Agency warned that the country needed “a complete rethink” of its flood defenses. LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron walked the flooded streets of York on Monday as Britain’s Environment Agency warned that the country needed “a complete rethink” of its flood defenses.
Thousands of people in the north of England spent another day dealing with what they called unprecedented flooding, with roads in York and in nearby Leeds still under water and some electricity cut off. David Rooke, the deputy chief executive of the Environment Agency, said that “we are moving from known extremes to unknown extremes.” Thousands of people in the north of England spent another day dealing with what they called unprecedented flooding, with roads in York and in nearby Leeds still underwater and some electricity cut off. David Rooke, the deputy chief executive of the Environment Agency, said that “we are moving from known extremes to unknown extremes.”
Some scientists speculated that the effects of climate change could be evident in a year of record flooding. “We are having more severe floods in the U.K. than 10 years ago,” said Reza Ahmadian, a lecturer on water management at Cardiff University. “This is not something just happening in the U.K. — and we will see more and more of this.”Some scientists speculated that the effects of climate change could be evident in a year of record flooding. “We are having more severe floods in the U.K. than 10 years ago,” said Reza Ahmadian, a lecturer on water management at Cardiff University. “This is not something just happening in the U.K. — and we will see more and more of this.”
He added: “We need to be more creative about flood defenses.” He added, “We need to be more creative about flood defenses.”
Mr. Ahmadian suggested that building temporary reservoirs for flood relief in less populated areas could be more effective than just building ever-higher and more expensive flood walls, which “just create further problems downstream.” Mr. Ahmadian suggested that building temporary reservoirs for flood relief in less populated areas could be more effective than building ever-higher and more expensive flood walls, which “just create further problems downstream.”
Mr. Cameron, wearing waterproof Wellington boots in his visit to York, defended the government’s record on flood defenses, saying that it had committed to spend 2.3 billion pounds, about $3.4 billion, over the next six years, and that he would consider doing more. Mr. Cameron defended the government’s record on flood defenses, saying that it had committed to spending 2.3 billion pounds, about $3.4 billion, over the next six years and that he would consider doing more.
“Let’s have a look and see whether more needs to be done and whether the flood defenses need to be made even higher than they are already,” he told Sky News. Over the weekend, he had deployed several hundred soldiers to help with flood defenses.“Let’s have a look and see whether more needs to be done and whether the flood defenses need to be made even higher than they are already,” he told Sky News. Over the weekend, he had deployed several hundred soldiers to help with flood defenses.
Officials in Leeds, about 25 miles southwest of York, criticized Mr. Cameron for not coming there and said that his government had blocked a more expensive flood-prevention plan in 2011. Judith Blake, the Labour Party leader of Leeds City Council, said that the government had favored the south of England over the north, echoing the Yorkshire Evening Post, which wrote on its front page on Monday: “A northern powerhouse is nothing when it is under several feet of mucky water.” Officials in Leeds, about 25 miles southwest of York, criticized Mr. Cameron for not coming there and said his government blocked a more expensive flood-prevention plan in 2011. Judith Blake, the Labour Party leader of Leeds City Council, said the government had favored the south of England over the north, echoing the Yorkshire Evening Post, which wrote on its front page on Monday, “A northern powerhouse is nothing when it is under several feet of mucky water.”
Mr. Cameron, whose government has touted economic development in the north, rejected any southern bias. “We spend more per head of the population on flood defenses in the north than we do in the south,” he said. “The key thing is to spend the money where it is needed.” Mr. Cameron rejected the claims of southern bias. “We spend more per head of the population on flood defenses in the north than we do in the south,” he said. “The key thing is to spend the money where it is needed.”
There was a lull in the heavy rain on Monday, and the Environment Agency said river levels were stabilizing or starting to fall. But nine severe flood warnings remained in place, and more rain was expected on Wednesday. There was a lull in the heavy rain on Monday, and the Environment Agency said river levels were stabilizing or starting to fall. But nine severe flood warnings remained in place, and more rain was expected Wednesday.
Estimates of the cost of this recent flooding reached up to several billion pounds. Extreme weather events are becoming more commonplace, and more expensive, representatives of the British insurance industry said. Estimates of the cost of this recent flooding reached up to several billion pounds. Extreme weather events are becoming more common, and more expensive, representatives of the British insurance industry said.
“Flood events have become more likely than 20 to 30 years ago,” said Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers, an industry group. “What was once classified as extreme is now being classified as normal.”“Flood events have become more likely than 20 to 30 years ago,” said Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the Association of British Insurers, an industry group. “What was once classified as extreme is now being classified as normal.”
The group estimated that flooding in Cumbria in northwest England this month would cost insurers about £520 million. More recent flooding had the potential to cost more because flooded areas like the center of York and parts of Leeds include more businesses, Mr. Tarling said, and the average business insurance claim is higher than the average household claim.The group estimated that flooding in Cumbria in northwest England this month would cost insurers about £520 million. More recent flooding had the potential to cost more because flooded areas like the center of York and parts of Leeds include more businesses, Mr. Tarling said, and the average business insurance claim is higher than the average household claim.
The Met Office, Britain’s weather forecasting agency, attributed the heavy rains to the positioning of the atmospheric current called the jet stream. “If we are in line with all the low-pressure systems moving through, we see more storms,” said Sophie Yeomans, a forecaster at the agency. “It just happens to be one of those winters where we have rain systems moving through.”
In some of the areas hit by flooding there has already been more than three times as much rain as normal in December, Ms. Yeomans said, and more rain was expected from a storm that was to begin lashing Britain on Tuesday evening.