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UK floods: Hundreds evacuated and thousands more at risk | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Hundreds of people have been evacuated and thousands more are at risk from flooding in Surrey, the Environment Agency has said. | Hundreds of people have been evacuated and thousands more are at risk from flooding in Surrey, the Environment Agency has said. |
Fourteen severe flood warnings, meaning there is a potential risk to life, are in place on the River Thames in Surrey and Berkshire with two in Somerset. | |
Some 400 homes have been "completely waterlogged", the agency added. | Some 400 homes have been "completely waterlogged", the agency added. |
Surrey Police has declared a "major incident" and has deployed more than 100 officers. | Surrey Police has declared a "major incident" and has deployed more than 100 officers. |
'Sitting ducks' | 'Sitting ducks' |
The force said it had been overwhelmed with 999 calls overnight and urged people to only call in an emergency. | The force said it had been overwhelmed with 999 calls overnight and urged people to only call in an emergency. |
Allana Burns, from Chertsey, told BBC Radio 4 that people felt abandoned after all the emergency crews pulled out on Monday afternoon. | Allana Burns, from Chertsey, told BBC Radio 4 that people felt abandoned after all the emergency crews pulled out on Monday afternoon. |
She added: "We've just been left with nothing, very little information. You can't get anything from anywhere. | She added: "We've just been left with nothing, very little information. You can't get anything from anywhere. |
"Sandbags - I've seen the military drive over the bridge, directly past us, they haven't dropped any off. | |
"We're just kind of sitting ducks, waiting for it to happen." | |
'Challenging time' | 'Challenging time' |
Surrey Police Ch Supt Matt Twist said: "Officers and staff from Surrey and Sussex Police are working around the clock to assist in supporting local residents affected by the severe flooding. | Surrey Police Ch Supt Matt Twist said: "Officers and staff from Surrey and Sussex Police are working around the clock to assist in supporting local residents affected by the severe flooding. |
"Our staff continue to go above and beyond the call of duty. | "Our staff continue to go above and beyond the call of duty. |
"This is a challenging time for everyone involved and we are working closely with the fire service, the military and local authorities to keep people safe and help them protect their properties." | "This is a challenging time for everyone involved and we are working closely with the fire service, the military and local authorities to keep people safe and help them protect their properties." |
The water is lapping at the door of Mike Berwick's house in Chertsey Lane, Staines. | |
He has moved valuable and important items upstairs, but added: "We're all very stressed. We have been watching the water coming up for days. | |
"It is the creeping inevitability of it all that is the worst bit. | |
"The army delivered some sandbags but at this stage how can you hold it back? | |
"It's utterly extraordinary and unprecedented, but it is down to 50 years of neglect not five weeks of rain." | |
Rain warning | |
Homes, shops and businesses in Datchet, Berkshire, remain waterlogged after the village saw major flooding on Monday. | |
Georgia Fletcher has been forced to leave her home in Wraysbury. | |
"It's not good here. Normally you can get down the road in just waders but it's too deep now. The water is up to the top of my thigh," she said. | |
"I can't get anywhere near Wraysbury. We had sandbags delivered yesterday. | |
"It's distressing not being able to get back to your own house. My bedroom is on the ground floor. You don't know what you're going to come back to." | |
The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for rain in the south-west, south and south-east of England as well as parts of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. | |
Dawlish railway | |
Flood levels on the River Severn in Worcestershire could rise further, according to the Environment Agency. | |
Chris Bainger said levels in Worcester were "steady" at 5.22m and could rise further on Thursday to about 5.6m - "very close" to the 5.66m recorded in the summer of 2007. | |
About 40 houses in Worcestershire and Herefordshire were flooded on Monday and Worcester's main road bridge was shut for 24 hours. | |
Water continues to surround properties in the village of Moorland on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater. | |
On Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron visited Dawlish on the Devon coast where the railway line was wrecked in a storm. |