UK weather: Cameron urges rail and power firms to help flood victims - after warning Thames crisis could last two more weeks

 
JEREMY SELWYN
14 February 2014

David Cameron today put pressure on rail and power firms to help passengers and flood victims as police warned that the Thames crisis may get worse over the next fortnight.

Speaking ahead of the first meeting of a special Cabinet committee to consider long-term answers, the Prime Minister promised to discuss calls for First Class carriages to be opened up to standard ticket payers on lines suffering overcrowding during the disruption.

“It’s a very good suggestion which I will take up with them,” the Prime Minister said, referring to First Great Western services between Paddington and Reading.

Mr Cameron also urged electricity companies to consider cutting charges to people suffering in the crisis. Asked if power firms should cut bills for victims he said: “We need to see social responsibility from everybody, including business... They need to be good social partners and they need to be considering these things.”

Floods in pictures

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Surrey chief constable Lynne Owens spoke out after more than 1,000 homes were damaged and 600 had to be evacuated.

“This is a major incident for the county,” she told BBC Surrey. “We are planning for the next 15 days with the potential to get even worse.”

Two senior Coalition ministers clashed today over the role of climate change in the crisis.

Conservative Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon hit back at Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey who used a speech to attack “wilfully ignorant, head in the sand nimbyist” Tories.

Warning: river users are being urged to stay off the water

Mr Fallon told the Standard: “This is not a time for Coalition squabbling. We should all be focusing on getting people’s power back on and protecting the sub stations that are in danger of being flooded.

“Unthinking climate change worship has damaged British industry and put up consumer bills. It’s David Cameron who is cutting green taxes and steering Europe away from artificial targets.”

But Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg backed Mr Davey, saying: “It’s not a secret that in the Conservative Party you have a fair number of people who just don’t accept the reality of climate change.”

Today the Environment Agency said 14 “severe flood warnings” for the Thames - meaning there is a risk to life - would remain in place for at least three more days.

River levels remain high and the forecast is for more rain, creating a “high” flood risk. A “medium” flood risk of ground water flooding in Croydon also remains in place after 18 Purley residents had to be put up overnight at Croydon town hall.

Shocking: Ayebridges Avenue in Egham (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)

Mr Cameron’s new committee will consider long-term solutions to flooding, such as whether to re-route rail lines away from the sea or flood plains. He told BBC Berkshire: “As the water comes down we have to sit down and ask what can we do in the future to make us more resilient.”

Extra defences were put in place overnight in Chertsey to prevent 200 homes from flooding. Ms Owens added: “We are planning for the long run in the face of unprecedented water levels. We regularly plan for these events, but water is rising day on day.”

There were claims today that soldiers despatched to assist with the rescue effort and on flood prevention were being forced to work without protective waterproof equipment.

Former soldier David Hughes said he had been told by troops that the Welsh Fusiliers were being forced to wade through water in only their regulation-issue boots.

Ms Owens said she would use the police budget to buy wet-weather gear for soldiers if required. “If that request is made of me by the brigadier, then that is what we will do,” she said.

Croydon council yesterday evacuated part of Dale Road in Purley, including care home residents with learning difficulties, as water from the underground river Bourne continued to flood the area.

NASA

A council spokesman said: “This was a precautionary measure owing to water overflowing from the nearby Bourne river. The council and the Red Cross have provided buses and helped 18 people to a temporary rest centre in the council’s civic offices.”

Toby Willison, programme director at the Environment Agency, said a number of rivers in the South East and South West, including areas of the Thames, were at their highest recorded levels.

Two people struggle to save their belongings in floods in Egham Picture: Jeremy Selwyn
TWO PEOPLE STRUGGLE IN THE FLOODS IN EGHAM TODAY PICTURE JEREMY SELWYN 12/02/2014

“This is an exceptional event, it was the highest rainfall in January since 1776 and we think it is likely December, January and February will be the highest for 250 years,” he said.

The Thames Valley has seen its third wettest winter since 1908, according to the University of Reading’s Atmospheric Observatory.

It measured 319.3mm (12.5in) of rain in the region since December 15, compared with an average of 164.4mm (6.4in) for December, January and February.

Andrew Barrett, a storm expert at the university, said: “It will be a miracle if this is not the wettest winter on the record - with yet more storms set to batter the UK over the coming days.”

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