mirror.co.uk TUESDAY 03.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR^11
DM1STDutch doing?” The Maeslantkering
cost taxpayers €450million.
He said: “In the Netherlands, we
regard water as a national problem
and everybody expects to pay.”
Environmental scientist Angela
Terry thinks the UK must spend
much more on defences. She said:
“Investment in world-leading flood
schemes is a sense of national pride
[with the Dutch] yet in England
only 1% of national infrastructure
spending goes on protection...
“As the world warms due to
carbon emissions, sea levels are
rising due to... melting ice.
“As an island nation we are
vulnerable on our entire coast.”
Ria Geluk, who was six when the
1953 disaster hit the Netherlands
and who survived by getting on to
the roof, led a grassroots move-ment to found the Watersnood
(translated as flood) Museum, in
Ouwerkek which opened in 2001 as
a memorial to the catastrophe.
Ria, 73, said: “In 1953 I think the
Netherlands had a preview of what
the future could look like for many
in a world of global heating.
“It took the 1953 disaster for real
action to be taken here. Will you [in
Britain] wait for another one?”
Peter Glas, the scientist in charge
of protecting the Netherlands
against floods, last week warned
Britain should prepare for seas and
tidal rivers to rise by over 6ft in 80
years – nearly double the Met
Office’s worst-case predictions.
Such a rise could inundate towns
along estuaries and wreck places
miles inland on tidal rivers such as
the Thames, Severn, Wye and Tyne.
This would be in addition to the
river flooding that is already being
caused by surging winter rainfall.
■ Rising sea levels mean half the
world’s beaches could vanish by the
end of the century, scientists at the
European Commission’s Joint
Research Centre have warned.
[email protected]
@NadaFarhoudAfter deluge,
the chilling
threat of ice
by stephen white
WHILE many areas continue
to battle flooding, forecasters
are warning of a new threat
from ice and snow.
A total of 82 flood
warnings are still in place for
England, Wales and Scotland
after Storm Jorge wreaked
havoc at the weekend.
Now, ice warnings are also
in place for western areas,
from northern Wales to the
top of Scotland, after the
wettest February on record.
An average 209.1mm of
rain fell last month – also
making it the fifth-wettest of
any calendar month, based
on statistics dating to 1862.
And we had one of our
wettest and warmest winters
with 469.7mm of rain across
December, January and
February.
The Environment Agency
said 76 flood warnings are in
place for England with three
warnings each in Wales and
Scotland. A total of 164 less
serious flood alerts are still
active across the territories.
Some 15 rivers have hit
record levels and the EA
warns we need to brace for
“more frequent periods of
extreme weather like this”
due to climate change.
The downpours, which
started with Storm Ciara and
continued with Storm Dennis
before Storm Jorge wrapped
up February’s hat-trick, are
estimated to have flooded
3,300 properties in England.
The Met Office said: “The
weather looks likely to remain
rather wet and windy into the
middle of March. It will be
predominantly rather cold
with overnight frosts likely.”and prevention, we’ve been left to fend
for ourselves. We’ve been left to drown
and no one cares.
“There are people here who are
struggling and suffering. People who
voted for his government.
“I convinced my Labour-voting
fiance to vote Conservative and I wish
to god that I hadn’t. I don’t think boris
Johnson is bothered.
“There is a disaster here and he
needs to show support and help the
people who voted for him.”
Water levels in Snaith have now
receded slightly. Twelve heavy duty
pumps have been in operation to
move water away from the area and
into the Aire and Calder canal and the
river Don to reduce water levels.own wedding dress, which was kept at
the house ahead of her marriage in
three weeks’ time.
She said: “My mum’s whole life is in
that house, eight decades of
possessions and memories.
“It’s invaluable and no money will
bring them back. Someone needs to
be held accountable for this.
“There should have been plans put
in place to avoid any of this.”
Ms Walker, who lives in neighbouring
Rawcliffe, said people felt “forgotten”,
and she slammed Prime Minister boris
Johnson’s continued absence from
the flooded areas.
She said: “We’re extremely angry,
East Cowick has never flooded. After
all the promises about flood defencesDespair and anger as homes stay under water
People here are struggling
and suffering. I don’t think
Boris Johnson is botheredfiona walker daughter of yorkshire flooding victimby stephen white
AN aerial shot of floods in East
yorkshire shows homes and gardens
deluged with water four days after
residents were forced to evacuate.
Images of Snaith and East Cowick,
taken yesterday, show the extent of
flooding after the Aire burst its banks
in the wettest February on record.
Authorities says they do not expect
water levels to rise further. but
residents have lashed out, one woman
claiming they were “left to drown”.
Fiona Walker, 58, helped evacuate
her mum Maureen Cooper, 80, from
her home in East Cowick, where she
lived alone, on Thursday night.
Ms Walker rescued her mum’s cats,
hopeless Flooding in Snaith yesterday medication and clothes – and even hercalls for solutIon as the sufferIng contInues
tour Mirror’s Nada with Jeroensafer Flood defence near homesPicturePhil harriS