Flood misery continues as waters peak
Channel 4 News hears from a woman rescued by boat from her flooded home in North Yorkshire as efforts continue to limit damage from several days of heavy rains across northern England and Wales.
Karen Metcalfe was evacuated from her home in Boroughbridge by boat with her boyfriend, her father, her dog and her brother, who was trapped by the fast-rising water as he popped over for a cup of tea.
Her house is for sale. She says she has no choice but to remove it from the market. Her life, she says, has been turned upside down.
She told Channel 4 News North of England reporter Ciaran Jenkins: “The rescue was very dramatic. We went to bed expecting the water to be gone by the morning. When we woke and came downstairs it had risen again. The emergency services came for us in a boat and took us to safety. Our insurers have been fantastic.
“We are waiting for them to come over and tell us whether the house can be lived in.”
Meanwhile North Yorkshire fire and rescue service told Channel 4 News they have so far pumped over 4m litres of water from the carriageway of the arterial A1, where the stretch between junction 49 and the junction with the A66 has been under water. The service says it is currently removing debris and hopes to have the road clear by the late afternoon.
It said it has had a crew at Boroughbridge through the night which will stay in place throughout the day to prevent floodwaters rising. It said it is working with Northern Grid to restore power to homes in the Topcliffe area.
In flooded York where the River Ouse reached its second highest level ever, at an estimated five metres above normal and waist-high in places, the service said it has high volume pumping equipment on standby at two locations.
It said it does not expect rain forecast for the weekend will have the same impact on river levels as the most recent downpours.
(York pictures courtesy Paul Weston)