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UK floods: Army to carry out 'rapid inspection' of defences UK floods: Army to carry out 'rapid inspection' of defences
(about 1 hour later)
The Army is to carry out a "rapid inspection" of the nation's flood defences to assess the damage left by unprecedented flooding. The Army is to carry out a "rapid inspection" of England's flood defences within five weeks to assess the damage left by unprecedented flooding.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that the inspection - which would normally take two years - would be done over the next five weeks. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the work would normally take two years.
The announcement comes as 15,900 homes remain without power. About 14,000 properties remain without power following recent storms.
And scores of flood warnings and alerts are still in force across the country. The widow of a cruise ship passenger who died when it was hit by a wave in the English Channel on Friday has said the vessel was "badly maintained".
'Damage' Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hammond said the government had agreed with the Environment Agency the Royal Engineers would carry out the inspection of flood defences, starting on 24 February.
Forecasters have warned that large swathes of England and Wales are in danger of further flooding despite a let-up in the long spell of stormy weather. About 200 military personnel are expected to be involved.
The storms cut off power to almost a million homes in the past week, and engineers are working around the clock to restore to electricity to the remaining homes. Mr Hammond also said the government had offered troops to civil authorities "a long while ago".
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Hammond said that there were a further 5,000 troops on "varying levels of notice to move" who would be able to offer their services to help flood-stricken communities. "What we have done over the last 10 days is push them a bit more aggressively at those civil authorities," he said.
He said that the Government had agreed with the Environment Agency that the Royal Engineers would carry out the inspection of flood defences. He said sending military liaison officers to local "gold commands" - meetings of public bodies such as councils and the fire service, led by the police - had been a "major step forward".
It will start on 24 February and around 200 military personnel will be involved. More than 3,000 military personnel have joined flood relief efforts, and Mr Hammond said another 5,000 were on "varying levels of notice" to help flood-stricken communities.
"We are going to try and do in five weeks what would be a two-year programme of inspection, just to assess the level of damage," he said. The Environment Agency said: "Following the unprecedented weather of weather in recent weeks, there is a need to inspect all of the nation's 150,000 flood defences across England in record time.
Mr Hammond went on to say that the Government had offered troops to civil authorities "a long while ago". "We will then know the latest state of all our flood infrastructure across the country and highlight those which will need repair."
He said: "What we have done over the last 10 days is push them a bit more aggressively at those civil authorities." Some parts of southern England have been flooded for several weeks, and 16 Environment Agency severe flood warnings remain in place - 14 along the Thames in Berkshire and Surrey, and two in the Somerset Levels.
Other developments include: More than 300 lower-level warning and alerts have also been issued.
BBC weather presenter Susan Powell said after sunshine and light winds on Sunday, next week would be unsettled with further spells of rain but not as stormy as recently. Almost a million homes in England and Wales have lost electricity after high winds in recent days, and the Energy Networks Association said 14,000 were still cut off.
Speaking after a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Saturday evening, Prime Minister, David Cameron, said: "Thankfully, it does appear that we will see less rain and wind over the next few days. BBC Weather's Chris Fawkes said Sunday would be largely dry and sunny, with some showers in Northern Ireland and western parts of England and Wales later.
"However, after so much rain over recent weeks groundwater levels remain very high and in many places will continue to rise." He said Monday would be "cloudy and damp" for most of the UK, with western coasts and hills getting the most rain.
The Environment Agency has 16 severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - in south-east and south-west England. The coming week's weather is expected to be "less stormy" than in recent weeks but there would still be some rain - "particularly during the second half of the week", he added.
'Remain vigilant'
The agency said the Thames Barrier had been closed for a record 16th consecutive time to help lower river levels.
Howard Davidson from the agency Told the BBC: "We are still closing the Thames Barrier to keep the tide out of west London which helps alleviate the situation.
"The barrier was built in 1980 and 25% of all closures have been in the last two months, which I think is a staggering fact."
Resident Stuart Brill of Egham, Surrey, has only just be able to get back into his house, he said: "Things are looking more positive. I can walk down my street and the water is now at shin level.
"My father drove 80 miles from Somerset to get sandbags to us.
"But it is still emotionally and physically tiring. I've put the heating on and I'm trying to warm through the property, and get back to some sense of normality.
In an interview with the Observer, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the events of recent weeks showed climate change was a "national security issue" for the UK.
He said Labour had warned climate change could destabilise "entire regions of the world" and now Britain's homes, businesses and livelihoods were "under attack".
"The science is clear. The public know there is a problem. But, because of political division in Westminster, we are sleepwalking into a national security crisis on climate change," he said.
And emergency planning specialist Mike Granatt agreed, telling the BBC that the floods would be a "wake-up call".
He said the extreme weather conditions would "heighten the importance of emergency planning and emergency response".
Live flood warnings from the Environment AgencyLive flood warnings from the Environment Agency
Two people were killed after high winds and heavy rain hit southern England on Friday. Speaking after a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Saturday evening, Prime Minister David Cameron said water levels would "continue to rise" in many areas despite drier weather, as rain that has already fallen moves through water systems.
In other developments:
Stuart Brill, who lives in Egham, Surrey, has only just be able to get back into his house.
"Things are looking more positive," he said.
"I can walk down my street and the water is now at shin level. My father drove 80 miles from Somerset to get sandbags to us.
"But it is still emotionally and physically tiring. I've put the heating on and I'm trying to warm through the property and get back to some sense of normality."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said the floods showed climate change was a "national security issue" for the UK.
"We've got to treat it like any other national security issue," he said.
"That means uniting as a country behind a national effort to do more to defend against the floods, to invest in clean energy and to show leadership internationally to persuade other countries to be part of the fight against climate change."
Two people were killed as high winds and heavy rain hit southern England on Friday.
Mother-of-three Julie Sillitoe, 49, from north London, died when falling masonry hit her taxi near Holborn Underground station in central London.Mother-of-three Julie Sillitoe, 49, from north London, died when falling masonry hit her taxi near Holborn Underground station in central London.
An 85-year-old man, James Swinstead of Colchester, Essex, as was killed after waves crashed through a window of the cruise ship MS Marco Polo in the English Channel as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.An 85-year-old man, James Swinstead of Colchester, Essex, as was killed after waves crashed through a window of the cruise ship MS Marco Polo in the English Channel as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.
His widow Helen has since criticised the vessel as "badly maintained". His widow Helen has since criticised the vessel as "badly maintained", adding that "four windows blew" when the wave hit.
A third storm victim, Bob Thomas, 77, died in hospital on Friday two days after he was hit by a falling tree in his garden in Caernarfon, north-west Wales.A third storm victim, Bob Thomas, 77, died in hospital on Friday two days after he was hit by a falling tree in his garden in Caernarfon, north-west Wales.
Meanwhile, a firefighter based in Staines, Surrey, which has been badly hit by floods, has died on duty.Meanwhile, a firefighter based in Staines, Surrey, which has been badly hit by floods, has died on duty.
Clifford Cox died at the fire station on Saturday night. It is understood he suffered a heart attack.Clifford Cox died at the fire station on Saturday night. It is understood he suffered a heart attack.
Are you in the affected areas? Have you been affected by the flooding? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading UK weather.Are you in the affected areas? Have you been affected by the flooding? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading UK weather.
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