TORRENTIAL rain of “biblical proportions” caused serious flooding in northerwestern areas on Friday as rescuers hunting for a policeman who vanished when a bridge collapsed found a body.
Flood defences in Cumbrian towns were overwhelmed by unprecedented downpours that officials said could be expected only once in 1,000 years.
The Meteorological Office said the amount of rain expected during the entire month of November had fallen in 24 hours. The Environment Agency reported 314 mm had fallen in one area in 24 hours which it said was a record for England.
“It was described to me this morning, this particular flood, as of biblical proportions,” said Tony Cunningham, MP for Workington, one of the worst affected towns.
“That gives you some idea of the scale and the force of the devastation,” he told Sky News.
Cumbrian police said officers searching for Police Constable Bill Barker, 44, who disappeared when a bridge in Workington collapsed had now found a body on a beach in West Cumbria and that the man was wearing a police uniform.
“I’m devastated by the events of the last few days and particularly the news this morning that one of our officers is unaccounted for,” said Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham.
Barker, an officer for 25 years, had been directing motorists off the bridge when it collapsed.
Lifeboats and Royal Air Force helicopters were used to rescue hundreds of people from their homes in towns and villages across the picturesque Lake District while media reports said some trapped residents had been forced to smash through their roofs to escape.
The Ministry of Defence said military help was being provided and could be stepped up.
Britain has been hit by severe flooding in recent years, raising questions about the impact of global warming. Last year Britain saw its wettest summer since records began in 1914 while floods in 2007 affected 55,000 homes and businesses and left an insurance bill of around 3 billion pounds.
The Met Office said there was a better forecast for Friday but that another 40 mm of rain could fall on Saturday.
Officials said there were four severe flood warnings – where there is extreme danger to life and property – for northwest England and another eight in Scotland.
“This is an extremely serious incident. We have seen unprecedented rainfall,” said Environment Agency Chairman Chris Smith.
One witness in Cockermouth told BBC radio he saw the water level rise rapidly from his top floor window.
“In the space of about 5 minutes, from there being puddles on the main street there was about an inch of water right across it, and then it rose very quickly.
“Within a very short space of time people were wading knee deep and then belly deep. And it was going up so fast it actually got very scary.”
