Thousands Flee Their Homes as Britain Braces for More Flooding
LONDON — Britain’s worst floods in more than 50 years prompted thousands of people across the country to evacuate their homes Thursday as rain continued to fall and meteorologists warned that worse was yet to come.
The Environment Agency, the government organization handling flood plans, said initial estimates suggested that about 3,000 properties had already been flooded.
“There is no light at the end of the tunnel. We are expecting rain to continue for at least the next few days,†said a spokesman for the Meteorological Office.
Prime Minister Tony Blair and Environment Agency officials toured flood-hit areas by air in an effort to determine if emergency services needed bolstering.
Evacuations were ordered from Yorkshire in the north to Kent in the south. Severe flood warnings were issued for 14 areas in England and Wales. Rivers in Yorkshire and the Severn River in southwestern England were the main concern.
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