06/12/2013

Flood Preparation 'Saved Lives'

Lives and property have been saved by flood defences and warnings across Britain in the face of tides that broke a 60-year record, according to police and the Environment Agency.

Two people died on Thursday when fierce storms hit the east coast of Britain.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the crisis was not yet over.

"Conditions like this only occur in some places every 500 years, so it's good that over 800,000 properties were protected by our flood defences," he said.

"I would stress that this is not over. There will still be exceptionally high tides today and tomorrow, and I would urge everybody to pay very close attention to advice from the Environment Agency and also to follow instructions from the police, local government and emergency services."

Jason Wakeford, an Environment Agency spokesman, said: "The worst effects were in darkness overnight so it is too soon to assess the overall picture but several thousand properties have been affected in the biggest coastal event of the last 60 years and the warnings we issued were in line with that risk."

This morning 27 severe flood warnings signalling danger to life remained in place across northern England, East Anglia, the Midlands and south-east.

(IT/CD)

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