British Coast Evacuees Urged to Avoid Contact with Flood Waters

Communities returning to the Coast of Britain after evacuation, as a result of the most devastating tidal surge in 60 years, were urged to avoid contact with floodwater and to be aware of rats that have entered some of the evacuated houses. The thousands of returning evacuees will be assessing damage to their houses for the first time following the tidal surge. Additionally, The Environmental Agency said that 1,400 homes were flooded. Suffolk police warned returning evacuees to prevent children from playing in flooded areas or playing with toys that were contaminated from flood water. Most of the flooding receded during the previous night causing the Environmental Agency to remove some 200 flood warnings. As a result, emergency services downgraded risk levels allowing the majority of evacuees to return home. So far, there have been two confirmed deaths as a result of the Atlantic storm. Despite the destruction and deaths associated with the environmental hazard, improved flood defenses in Britain stopped the North Sea surge from causing even more chaos by protecting at least 800,000 homes. Although the defenses were a vital protection, Environmental Agency teams have plenty of damage to inspect and repair over the coming days. A particular example of the devastation can be seen from residents in Hemsby, Norfolk who watched their cliff-top homes disappear into the sea as the tidal surge hit Thursday night.