UK Policeman killed in ‘biblical’ floods
A policeman died after being swept away by “biblical” floods in Britain’s scenic Lake District, shocked officials said. Helicopters helped evacuate hundreds of stranded residents.
The policeman had been missing since Thursday in Workington in the tourist-friendly region of north-west England, hit by unprecedented rainfall which caused four bridges to collapse. The policeman who died was directing traffic on one of the bridges as it gave way under him
“I’m very sad to have to report we’ve recovered a body of an individual on the beach,” said Cumbria Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham, identifying the policeman as Bill Barker, 45.
In Cockermouth, the town the worst hit by the floodwaters, helicopters winched people to safety and rescue boats negotiated streets turned into canals after rivers burst their banks.
The last few days has seen heavy rain affecting all parts of north-west Britain. This was caused by an Atlantic weather front becoming almost stationary across Northern Ireland, Cumbria and south-west Scotland.
In Cumbria, there was 372.4 mm of rain at Seathwaite and 361.4 mm of rain at Honister between 0800 on Wednesday 18 November and 0400 on Friday 20 November.Provisionally, the 24-hour total at Seathwaite (ending 0045 on Friday 20 November) of 314.4 mm is a UK record for a single location in any given 24-hour period. UK records go back to 1914.