UK News 06-11-2000 Government Was Warned Of Flood Risk who: The Environment Agency what: Give out 87 severe flood warnings as heavy rain continues when: Yesterday snippet: "The government was warned five months ago that it needed to increase by at least 50 per cent the amount spent annually on flood defence," The Independent reveals today. The study, National Appraisal of Assets at Risk from Flooding and Coastal Erosion, was published in June and warned that flood damage would be likely to treble unless the government committed to an increase of £200million a year. The news came as Britain suffered yet more heavy rain yesterday. "Eighty-seven severe flood warnings were in force on rivers," reports The Express, "including 21 on five waterways in the blackspots of Yorkshire, the Midlands and Wales." The Ouse, Derwent and Aire in north-east England, the Severn in the Midlands and the lower Dee in Wales are all at critical levels. The Ouse waters in York have begun to subside from the record five metre peak on Saturday, but defences broke down at Barlby and Selby yesterday and 200 homes were flooded. In the south-east, the River Uck in Uckfield burst its banks and flooded the town for the second time in three weeks. "So far across England and Wales, more than 3,600 properties have been flooded," says The Times, "including at least 1,000 in York." [... more]

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