07/02/2014 BBC Points West


07/02/2014

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Good evening. Sunshine in Somerset today did

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nothing but highlight the sheer scale of the flooding problem on the

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Levels, with rising waters forcing more people out of their homes.

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Tonight, rain is falling once again as the emergency response is being

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pushed to the limit. In a surprise visit to see the crisis for himself,

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David Cameron insisted the Government is doing everything it

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can to help those affected. We have put more pumps in, we put

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the Army and, providing the extra money. We are providing help

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emergency services and have said to the local council, if you need to

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spend money, spend it and we will reimburse you from central

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Government. All the things we can do, we will do.

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We'll be live on the Levels in a moment to get the latest pictures,

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but first, Royal Marines helped evacuate another 80 homes in

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Moorland early this morning after the floodwaters rose by more than a

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metre. Our reporter Clinton Rogers was with them.

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As morning broke, the scale of what has happened here is all too

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evident. So many homes are now under water. Homes that have not

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previously flooded. This has been a good close`knit community and it is

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just ripped apart. I just hope that when everything has subsided and the

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water has calmed down, the powers that be sent people here to help

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residents clear out their homes Each church nearby Bridgwater became

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an emergency evacuation centre. At least it's warm and dry. We were

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told to get out. We got out. It was coming up so fast. As we were

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talking, you could see it. We resisted so far so we decided, yes,

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it must be serious. We travelled by tractor to a house in Moorland that

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has literally become an island. Last night, the owner built a dam around

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the whole property. Today, stage two of the rescue plan. This really is a

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quite extraordinary attempt to keep the water at bay. The whole property

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is surrounded by a dam. By the time they have finished, the whole house

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will be wrapped in polythene. Why don't you leave? You're determined

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to stay, are you? Determined to stay. The house is what a few

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pennies and it will devalue that flood so we're trying to beat it.

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With floodwater still rising, efforts are continuing to protect

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those properties yet to be affected. But for many, returning home could

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be a long time away. Well, let's cross to our reporter

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Scott Ellis who's on the Somerset Levels tonight. What's the latest?

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You can certainly feel that storm coming in. I am on one of many

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flooded out of the woods on the Levels. Down to the left, Moorland.

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The road is impassable. The people have decided to state essentially

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trapped. To the right, that would get you to the pub. We have seen

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locals going there this evening with family. The factor for the landlord

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to ask them to come and get them in his 4x4. The water they are driving

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through, though what I am standing in, is still rising at the rate of

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one centimetre every hour. No wonder the Prime Minister described what he

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saw as he arrived in the West Country by helicopter as a biblical

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scene. He said the scale of the Fondas amends. They are pumping out

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now at the rate of water every single hour and a bringing in bigger

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pumps. But the weather is worsening and it could lead to more flooding

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and also on the River Severn in Gloucestershire in a couple of days.

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Elsewhere tonight, a temporary flood wall in a Wiltshire town has leaked.

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Special fencing and pumps were put in yesterday on Silver Street in

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Bradford`on`Avon to protect homes and businesses from the high tide on

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the River Avon. The council is reinforcing the barrier and says

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it'll stay there this weekend as more heavy rain is on the way.

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Throughout this crisis, we've heard so many stories of people in

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Somerset and beyond offering to help those affected. From neighbours

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helping farmers, rescue animals and crops, to offers of food for people

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in rescue centres. Sally Challoner has been to meet just a few of the

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people trying to bring comfort to those in crisis.

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This is community spirit in action. People have come from towns and

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villages all around to fill bags with several tonnes of sand donated

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by a local builder. There was 2 ponies are needed rescuing. I said

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to coordinate people, came here they had just finished sandbanks,

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went then and 15 crazy Dartmoor ponies that we had to get onto

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lorries. Some are never been handled. My sons while they are and

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other ladies in the village came out. It clocked by state, we got the

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final one away. From cakes to the basic essentials, this campsite is

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offering people a lifeline ` hot showers and access to toilets. We

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have had one lady comment to her washing in the laundry but, you

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know, the facilities are here if they want. You're welcome. More than

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welcome. And it's not just here ` farmers in Gloucestershire have

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donated animal feed. They now need help getting it down here. We are

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trying to get local farmers from Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and

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Worcestershire if it is possible to donate a couple of bills of the

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silage, strong, whatever they can give us. Food, too, for local people

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who have had to abandon their homes and are now living in limbo. It is

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all local people through the Facebook page. They have donated

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food and in rallying around and helping. It is amazing. If there is

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a silver lining at all, it's this ` people pulling together to keep the

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community afloat. For the very latest on the flooding,

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tune in to your BBC local radio station and of course our weekend

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team will have full coverage. Now, with that all important weather

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forecast, here's Ian. station and of course our weekend

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team will have full The heaviest of the night's rain is crossing

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eastwards, including over the Levels. Our attention is focused on

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the strength of the wind tomorrow. It is already windy across southern

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areas at the moment. Tomorrow, amber warnings around the coast and indeed

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the coasts of Dorset. Yellow warning elsewhere. We could see 60`70 mph on

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Saturday. That will continue into Sunday. It could be very disruptive

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and damaging. Temperatures tonight for what it is worth, 4`5 Celsius.

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Tomorrow, dry weather about but winds will pick up. There will be

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shown later on which will match in. Dash`mac margin. Temperatures

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tomorrow, seven ` eight Celsius Peter Gibbs is now going

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Hello again. Nelson's flag ship HMS victory, was launched in 1765 and

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you can still see it today in Portsmouth Harbour. But through the

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whole of that history, you will struggle to find a wetter winter

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than this one across southern England. Scotland has already been

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in the record books. Their December was the wettest since standardised

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records began

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