Wales Flood Costs Up To $165 Million (US) - 1800 Bridge Inspections Needed, More Rain Coming

[hatrack]

Residents in flood-hit northwest England began returning to their homes Monday but police warned it could take years to recover from the devastation left by the heaviest rainfall on record. Eighteen schools were closed as local authorities struggled to restore basic services across the county of Cumbria, where many areas were cut off at the weekend after swollen rivers brought down bridges and turned roads into canals.

All Cumbria's 1,800 bridges had to be checked after several collapsed, one of them on Friday, taking with it a police officer whose body was later recovered and 16 remained closed on Monday. About 60 people were still sheltering in temporary accommodation, but owners of many of the 900 homes and business affected in the worst-hit town of Cockermouth, on the edge of the Lake District, were being allowed back.

Brian Trengove, who part-owns an Indian restaurant in the market town, refused to be rescued from the property when the floods hit Thursday, staying in the flat upstairs and surviving on a "very large pot of curry". He told the BBC he expected a huge clean-up, saying all food and drink would have to be thrown away, "all the furniture is ruined, I imagine the walls will need replastering, the whole place will need to be rewired."

Residents were warned to expect further heavy rain overnight of up to 50 to 100 millimetres (1.9 to 3.9 inches) and possibly more flooding.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Britain_surveys_cost_of_devastating_floods_999.html