#UKfloods: your pictures
From the sandbagged in Surrey to the Somerset evacuees: victims of the floods are documenting the worst of the storms.
It has been raining for days – and now the wind is starting to cause havoc, with 100mph gales expected to hit the west coast on Wednesday night.
The Clifton Suspension Bridge has been closed for the first time in 150 years and 16 severe flood warnings remain in place along the Thames and the south west.
And while the weather has devastated homes and business, forced evacuations and disrupted travel plans, many of those affected have found time to get snap happy.
Wheatsheaf lane staines. 400 yards from the River but still not safe #c4news #floods pic.twitter.com/BciFEl7FEN
— Matt Symons (@SymonsMatt) February 12, 2014
Railway line at #Datchet still very much closed #flood #trains @BBCBerkshire pic.twitter.com/s3DTKDvYEN
— Catherine Bolsover (@cat_bolsover) February 12, 2014
The floods in Worcester #itsonlygoingtogetworse pic.twitter.com/VYeMVBMGC9
— Stacy Powell (@Spowell17) February 12, 2014
Cycled this morning. Had to get on a coach to be ferried through the floodwater though.
#worcester #floods pic.twitter.com/nC3j885o6k
— Rhys Griffiths (@trhysg) February 12, 2014
Levels aren’t as high as Monday, most roads around #rossonwye are still accessible @HTnewsroom @RossGazette pic.twitter.com/vrBm1jDczo
— Cllr Richard Mayo (@CllrMayo) February 12, 2014
Volunteers, troops and emergency services have all been busy helping residents evacuate and supplying sandbags to keep away the worst of the flooding. But many also found the time to tweet:
Appalling does not even begin to describe conditions in #Worcester at the moment. River still rising pic.twitter.com/OFx7QGA2C3
— Dave Throup (@DaveThroupEA) February 12, 2014
Someone managed to snap me in #Wraysbury yesterday whilst we were redeploying. Orange dry suit is a give away! pic.twitter.com/RVw9kXUU91
— Matt Drew – EA (@MattDrewEA) February 12, 2014
Helping out colleagues in @SurreyPolice today. Big puddles even in Staines High Street #floods pic.twitter.com/clXqic2hNN
— Haywards Heath Pol (@hheath_police) February 12, 2014
Devastating scenes of extensive flooding here nr Chertsey as 1 of our crews heads to attend another call #FloodAware pic.twitter.com/GFCmx6fZLm
— AA SORT (@AASORT) February 12, 2014
The Environment Agency (EA) has come under mounting criticism for failing to prevent the worst effects of the weather in some areas. The scale of the anger was made apparent on Wednesday, after the agency revealed that staff were not being sent to flood-hit Wraysbury, Berkshire, because of resident’s hostility towards them.
But in parts of Hertfordshire and Worcestershire, locals have expressed their gratitude to EA area manager Dave Throup by setting up a Twitter account called @DaveThroupFans. The man himself is on Twitter @DaveThroupEA – but he has so far failed to acknowledge his fanbase.
Please retweet and help us get Dave 500 followers! Follower 500 will get a free Dave Throup picture that I’ve drawn. #hero #floods
— DaveThroupFanClub (@DaveThroupFans) February 11, 2014
And while instagram is more often taken up with selfies and plates of food, the pictures posted to the photo-sharing site in recent days have been more flood-focused, as these snaps from Staines, Windsor and Chertsey can testify:
Stormy weather on Friday 14 February caused mayhem across the UK. Two people died – a man was swept to his death from a cruise ship, while a minicab driver in central London was crushed by falling masonry. Your tweets tell the story of a wild night of 80mph winds.
Got home to find the entrance of my flat like thisâ?¦â?¦wind is crazy ð??±ð???ð?? pic.twitter.com/sUzqEpL0ZP
— Mr. Jama (@jamak001) February 15, 2014
Neighbours left the window open.. wind tore it off. #windy #storm #Bournemouth #ukstorm pic.twitter.com/bbhK2hVuvV
— kirk burton (@kirkburton) February 15, 2014
OMG this Wind on the coast 100mile :( had to bring my chickens in as fence panels have blow away ,they are now sitting in the Wet room :)
— Rachael (@c12ors) February 15, 2014
OMG the wind speed in Cambridge right now *literally* off the chart: http://t.co/iHtcz204rq
— Dr Paul Coxon (@paulcoxon) February 14, 2014
Can you turn the wind and rain off now please? @David_Cameron
— Simon Davies (@simondavies86) February 15, 2014
The map above features tweets, videos and pictures which make reference to “flood” or “flooding”, and is powered by Esri UK.