Storm Desmond hit Northern England in Lancashire and Cumbria counties over the weekend, creating severe flooding that caused around 55,000 homes to be left without power and prompting the army to evacuate hundreds, according to the BBC. The storm brought a record 13.4 inches of rain in just 24 hours in Cumbria, which caused the River Eden to reach a height that was 5 feet higher than ever before, according to The Telegraph.
Electricity North West said that power has now been restored to 45,000 of those homes on Monday, which had been left without power since Saturday evening when a substation in Lancaster became flooded, according to another BBC report. It hopes to restore power to the remaining 10,000 homes later today.
The army still continues to evacuate some people by boat and helicopter in the cities of Carlisle, Keswick and Appleby where flood waters reached as high as some first floor windows, according to the BBC. More than 30 schools are closed, including Lancaster University, which has cancelled its classes for the rest of the term. There are several rescue centers open in the area to aid families who have been affected by the flooding.
Though forecasters have said the worst of Storm Desmond has passed, according to Reuters, a crisis response committee meeting is set to be held by Prime Minister David Cameron later on Monday to stay abreast of the rescue efforts being made as well as to discuss what can be done to defend against floods in the future, according to the BBC.
The government is under criticism right now for failing to take appropriate measures to prevent a crisis of this magnitude, having dubbed more than 300 flood defense schemes to be "low priority," according to The Telegraph.
Almost 130 flood warnings are still listed on the government website, including almost 50 severe flood warnings, in areas where flooding is considered a danger to life.
