Cornwall clear up begins

Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes yesterday, which saw schools shut down, people trapped in their cars and train services suspended.

Reduced flood warnings are still in place today for rivers in the South West but the Environment Agency say the Met Office predictions should lead to a low risk of flooding from now on.

The government has promised help but this will be of little comfort to those who are staying in temporary shelters and feel that not enough warning was given.

In a timely move, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) today announced that it was funding £2million to improve flood rescue capability.

Announcing the new funding, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “We have learnt from the floods we have experienced in recent years that the emergency response is most effective when public, private and voluntary groups work well together – and we saw this week in Cornwall how important it is for these groups to have well rehearsed plans in place.

“The money we’re announcing today will help local flood rescue teams – such as fire and rescue services, police and the RNLI – to buy extra equipment or training which will be used in a rescue situation when the need arises.”

This announcement will be too late to help the residents of Cornwall, who are clearing up the mess today.

The government will face tough questions about funding for flood risk management after it reduced funding in the latest spending review.

Alison Brown