27/12/2013 South East Today

England's road to recovery. There is more throughout the evening on the

Good evening. The Prime Minhster, BBC News Channel. We're back

Good evening. The Prime Minhster, David Cameron, says more needs to

Good evening. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, says more nedds to be

done to help people in Kent and Sussex affected by flooding.

Speaking in Yalding, he said councils #23450eed to provide ways

for people to clear their homes and get rid of damaged property `` need

to provide ways. He was takdn to to provide ways. He was takdn to

task by a resident who felt abandoned over Christmas.

It was during the Prime Minhster's It was during the Prime Minhster's

visit to this village when ` resident vented her anger.

Since Monday we have been trying to contact them and nothing. H`ve

Since Monday we have been trying to contact them and nothing. Have the

council been round since? Vdry council been round since? Vdry

briefly this morning. The lady who challenged the Prime

Minister was Erica, her home was flooded on Christmas Eve. She's had

no electricity since then and her fridge freezer is full of rhver

fridge freezer is full of river water. It's upsetting and I feel

abandoned. We have had no rep water. It's upsetting and I feel

abandoned. We have had no rdp from abandoned. We have had no rdp from

the council or the Environment the council or the Environmdnt

Agency and the police, well, the first time we saw any police was

first time we saw any policd was when David Cameron turned up today.

More than 1,000 homes flooded when David Cameron turned up today.

More than 1,000 homes flooddd over More than 1,000 homes flooded over

Christmas, Yalding was one of the worst affected places. Maidstone

Council says it's been working throughout the holiday to hdlp

people affected. But the Prime Minister accepts that

more needs to be done. The Government is spending more on flood

defences over the next four years than over the last four years.

There's a lot of flood defences being built. 80,000 houses were

protected this time but we have got to do more. In Tunbridge today,

volunteers gave time to help residents clear their flood`damaged

homes. Residents had little time to escape the flood surge. We had 0

escape the flood surge. We had 20 minutes to basically grab some

clothes, put the TV upstairs, but obviously we couldn't move any

obviously we couldn't move `ny furniture, we had to go because the

furniture, we had to go bec`use the water was coming in. There's

frustration here too that there was little help and support in this

street in their hour of need. Hundreds of people remain whthout

power across Kent, Sussex and Surrey as engineers struggle to de`l with

repairs following the recent stormy weather. In Kent, 1745 homes have no

electricity, in Sussex, 890 and in Surrey, 680 have no power. Hn

electricity, in Sussex, 890 and in Surrey, 680 have no power. In Upper

Dicker in East Sussex, some residents have been without

electricity since Monday. Playing with new Christmas toys, but it

wasn't the time of festive fun that this family had been hoping for.

this family had been hoping for With no power at all since Monday,

With no power at all since Londay, it's been a very cold Christmas.

it's been a very cold Christmas It's been really difficult. We have

lost all the food in the frdezer, lost all the food in the freezer,

everything's gone. ?179 worth of stuff for Christmas has all gone.

Most of the village lost power on Monday, but these houses on the

outskirts are still waiting to be reconnected. Another family on a

nearby farm are heading for a hotel in search of a bit of warmth. The

hardest thing for us has bedn in search of a bit of warmth. The

hardest thing for us has been the hardest thing for us has bedn the

animals out on the farm having to do animals out on the farm havhng to do

everything by torch light because animals out on the farm having to do

everything by torch light bdcause we are out there at 5 am, you know,

are out there at 5 am, you know that's been the worst thing.

Engineers have been working around`the`clock to reconnect

supplies in the south`east `nd around`the`clock to reconnect

supplies in the south`east and hope to reduce the number of households

cut off from thousands to hundreds. The plan is by the end of today to

get that down to around abott The plan is by the end of today to

get that down to around abott 4 0. That'll be pretty much the

individual properties who've That'll be pretty much the

individual properties who'vd got individual properties who'vd got

resources out there to get as individual properties who've got

resources out there to get `s many of those done as soon as possible

and the plan is to get them all done by Midnight tonight and then leaving

the single premises. The Hicks family fear they could be among the

family fear they could be along the last to see their power back. So

what have the past five days been like? Quite cold normally but with

like? Quite cold normally btt with this jumper it's warm. Sometimes at

night we have the fire open to keep us warm.

They are saying it will be at least They are saying it will be at least

11 o'clock tonight. They have spoken to my his, so we don't know at the

moment. I'm not staying herd with moment. I'm not staying here with

the bows, it's too cold. `` boys, it's too cold.

It's all weather related so let us get an update for the next few days.

Over to you. We are not completely out of the

woods as there are some mord We are not completely out of the

woods as there are some more showers woods as there are some mord showers

on the way. The weekend is looking somewhat better. There will be some

showers around for some of us somewhat better. There will be some

showers around for some of ts but sunny spells and certainly lighter

winds. Tonight, the showers are going to mainly affect the

south`east Kent coast more than anything. For most of us, that will

be a dry night ahead. It's more anything. For most of us, that will

be a dry night ahead. It's lore this be a dry night ahead. It's lore this

evening that they'll be trotblesome. A cold night with temperatures down

to freezing in some parts. Ice A cold night with temperatures down

to freezing in some parts. Hce could to freezing in some parts. Hce could

be a problem tomorrow morning. Heavy showers tomorrow. Some will escape

the showers all together. They'll be mainly along the south coast.

Temperatures struggling tomorrow with highs of seven, eight or

perhaps nine. Lighter winds and at least we'll have some sunshhne

least we'll have some sunshine around.

Tomorrow night, a colder night than tonight even so if you don't have

the frost tonight, you are lore mikely tomorrow night. Sunday

the frost tonight, you are more mikely tomorrow night. Sund`y is the

mikely tomorrow night. Sunday is the better day of the weekend. `` more

likely. Sunday night into Monday, a lot of rain moving through then and

unfortunately, we have another weather system moving through next

week so it will be a wet and windy start.

Thank you very much. That is it from us. We are back at

10. 15. Bye. Good evening. What a week it has

been, a stormy start, a law through Christmas, then a wild end to the

week, had to keep up, isn't it? This was a vicious area of low pressure

last night, but today the winds have been strongest across northern

areas, where it is still blowing a gale. That will gradually subside as

we go through the night, although a windy night across Scotland with

frequent, heavy showers. A few showers whistling in elsewhere, but

a lot of dry weather, and temperatures will ease down first

thing tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, a different sort of