Bridges of the twenty-first centuryCumbria flood bridges facing safety checks
Heavy rains in north-west U.K. cause six bridges in Cumbria to collapse; engineers are now examining the safety of the county’s 1,800 bridges; forty waste treatment works which have been put out of action, and 1,300 homes were flooded
A safety review of all 1,800 bridges in Cumbria is being carried out after severe flooding caused extensive damage to homes and roads in the U.K. county.Six bridges have already collapsed and Calva Bridge in Workington, which may be about to fall, has been condemned. Some residents are spending a fourth night away from their homes and many roads remain impassable. More than 1,300 homes were affected and people have been advised not to return. Much of the United Kingdom faces more heavy rain.
Meanwhile, in Powys, the search for a woman who was swept along the River Usk in Brecon has been called off for the night. In Devon, canoeist Chris Wheeler, 46, from Reading, Berkshire, died after being pulled from the River Dart on Saturday. He had become caught against a tree in stormy weather. Two others were airlifted to hospital suffering from hypothermia.
Warnings in place
The BBC reports that there are currently twenty-one flood warnings in force across northern parts of England, Scotland, and Wales. There is also a Met Office warning for localized flooding in western counties of Northern Ireland.
River levels have subsided and now just one “severe” flood warning — meaning a threat of “extreme danger to life and property” is posed — applies to parts of the River Eamont in Cumbria.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We are now assessing the damage and checking flood defenses, and will be working with emergency services and local authorities to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible. While conditions in Cumbria are improving, more heavy rain is forecast.”
Police said a total of 16 bridges and at least 25 roads were closed, including Greta Bridge in Kewsick where businesses and properties were evacuated to allow the structure to be checked.
There is likely to be widespread disruption on Monday, with local journey times from Cockermouth more than doubled when the bridges are closed.
Cumbria County Council said thirteen primary schools and five secondary schools would be shut, although the majority were reopened today.
Police say they are closely monitoring Calva Bridge in Workington, which is part of the A596, and engineers say it will have to be taken down if it does not fall. Professor Roger Falconer, a water management specialist at Cardiff University, said the force of the water swirling around the bridge’s pillars was undermining the foundations.
Chief Superintendent Steve Johnson said people were still using bridges as vantage points, which was risking not only their lives but those of the emergency services. “If people don’t need to travel, don’t make non-essential journeys,” he added.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the area on Saturday and pledged £1 million for flooded communities.
More heavy showers
United Utilities says forty waste treatment works which have been put out of action should be in service within three days. Tap water is safe to drink, the firm says.
pRecovery efforts may be hampered by further rain, following on from the record 314.4mm (12.4in) that fell at Seathwaite Farm in Cumbria over 24 hours before the weekend. Forecasters say Sunday night will bring more heavy showers, with 20 to 30mm of rain in the county. There will be fewer showers on Monday.
Much of north-west England, south-west Scotland, and Northern Ireland faces similar showers and gales. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which has issued four flood warnings covering the Ayrshire coast and rivers Tay, Isla and Earn, said rain on Sunday would cause water levels to rise again. It said, however, that flooding on the scale of Friday — when up to 40 businesses in Dumfries were flooded and about a dozen of the area’s roads were closed — was unlikely.
