Hundreds stranded after town floods (From Salisbury Journal)

Hundreds stranded after town floods

10:22pm Thursday 19th November 2009

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Water levels in the flood-hit town of Cockermouth, in Cumbria, have at last stabilised - on a night when they reached almost 2.5 metres on the worst affected streets.

Police said fewer than 10 people were still left to be rescued in the town, with boats being used to reach them.

RAF helicopters had earlier airlifted at least 50 people from buildings. Dozens of others were helped to safety by the RNLI, the coastguard, police, fire and rescue, and mountain rescue teams.

Meanwhile, water levels in nearby Keswick were also not expected to rise any further. Police said there had been no serious injuries as a result of the flooding.

Earlier, on Thursday evening, about 200 people became stranded as Cockermouth was cut off by floodwater as two rivers in the town burst their banks following heavy rain all through the day. The town's Southwaite Bridge and nearby Lorton Bridge have been destroyed. Storms had also battered other parts of northern England, north-west Wales and western Scotland.

Late in the night, United Utilities said it had restored electricity to 660 of the 1,145 homes that had been affected by power cuts in the Cockermouth area. Cuts had also hit 349 homes in Keswick. Fire crews also received calls for help from people in the Broughton, Egremont and Frizington areas of West Cumbria.

Reception centres at Cockermouth Secondary School, Keswick Convention Centre, Ulverston Victoria Hall School, St Joseph's School in Workington and Penrith Leisure Centre are currently in operation.

The Met Office said the village of Seathwaite, in Cumbria, had recorded 6.8in (173mm) of rain in 24 hours. Another 5.9in (150mm) could fall on the Lake District's higher fells by midday Friday.

John Carlin, owner of the Allerdale Court Hotel, situated in Cockermouth town centre, said the amount of rainfall to hit the area was "staggering". He said: "I have lived here for 15 years and have never seen anything like it.

"At two o'clock it was raining heavily but there was nothing here, but now there is four feet of water outside my front door. It's desperate. The town centre is completely flooded."

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