A view of children’s toys immersed in floodwaters, around Tewkesbury Abbey, where flood guards are expected to get wetter in the coming days, in Tewkesbury, England, Wednesday 23 December 2020. (Ben Birchall / PA via AP)
TO Newsroom
UPDATE 11:10 PT PT – Sunday 27 December 2020
Hundreds of Bedfordshire residents evacuated their homes after massive flooding caused by ‘Storm Bella’.
According to reports over the weekend, river levels are ‘extremely high’, with flood warnings in the area along the ‘Great River Ouse’, which is about 65 kilometers north of London.
Residents woke up to find parks, roads and in some cases – their homes – under the stormy rain of ‘Storm Bella’. Floods were five feet deep in some places.
Earlier today @bedsFire was supporting Harrold residents to evacuate their homes due to flooding. Look for the latest flood information in Bedfordshire; https://t.co/D4abd1tHlo pic.twitter.com/dOV9cZRn0g
– Beds Fire and Rescue (@BedsFire) 25 December 2020
“I do not think I have seen it for more than twenty years,” said a local resident. “It’s also incredibly fast, so I don’t think you would want to invade.”
Firefighters in boats rescued residents on Christmas Day. They rescued dozens of people from their homes, businesses and trapped cars. Emergency accommodation was provided for about 500 people, some of whom even showed signs of hypothermia.
“It was not exactly the best year,” said another resident. “And that’s just another thing to add to things that are not good in 2020.”
The British Environment Agency has warned that ‘floods are imminent’, as ‘Storm Bella’ is expected to hit the UK all weekend.
Meanwhile, the region is also under “Tier Four” coronavirus restrictions, which prohibit households from mixing with each other. However, authorities said the flood warnings dominated the current restrictions on coronavirus. Officials also noted that people may go to other households to stay safe.
Residents are strongly encouraged to turn off water, gas and electricity before evacuating to avoid additional problems.