COMMENT: Priority must be protection from floods (From Worcester News)

COMMENT: Priority must be protection from floods

8:30am Saturday 21st November 2009

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MANY of our readers will understand exactly what the people of Cumbria have been going through in the last 36 hours.

The rains that brought such devastation to places like Workington and Cockermouth were eerily reminiscent of the deluge that hit Worcestershire in the summer of 2007.

Who can have watched the TV news pictures yesterday and not thought of the damage caused to homes, buildings, roads and, most importantly, people two years ago?

The floods that so badly affected Worcester, Upton-upon-Severn, Tenbury Wells and Evesham in 2007 were described as a once in a century event. Now, just two years later, similar descriptions are given to the flooding in Cumbria. The rainfall across that area of the north west was immense and led to death and destruction on a scale seen all too often in this country in recent years.

Help is on its way to Cumbria from Worcestershire in the shape of fire chief Paul Hayden and Mary Dhonau’s National Floods Forum.

It is clear from what we have seen in Boscastle, Carlisle, Hull, Tewkesbury and Worcester in the last five years that flooding is now the single biggest public protection issue facing Britain.

Labour’s Floods Bill has received a far from rapturous welcome from campaigners like Ms Dhonau.

Many more millions of pounds will have to be spent on flood defences for vulnerable locations. Whoever wins the keys to 10 Downing Street at next year’s election must ensure flood protection remains an absolute priority.

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