22/11/2009 - Flood update 18:30 : Cumbria County Council

This is the latest update from the multi-agency response to the Cumbria floods at 6:30pm on Sunday 22 November.

Full breakdown of road and bridge closures

Bridges

Police and other agencies are still urging people to stay away from closed bridges, and to exercise caution when using other bridges around the county.

Structural engineers and the military have been assessing damage to key bridges in the county in an attempt to keep the highways network open. Calva Bridge, in Workington, is seriously damaged and will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Highways Engineers will continue to assess the damage and consider longer term options for all road links across the River Derwent.

Rumours have been rife in relation to Calva Bridge being demolished. This is NOT the case. No decision has been taken relating to the future of the bridge and, until the technical evaluations have been completed, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the long term future of the structure.

Water and electricity supplies are not expected to be affected by any deterioration in the state of Calva Bridge.

Travel

Motorists and commuters travelling in Cumbria tomorrow morning (Monday 23rd) should take extra care as there is still standing water and damage on many of the county's roads. Traffic speed is likely to be reduced as motorists are forced to use the same diversions.

Please take heed of road closures, as they have been put in place as a safety measure.

People should be prepared for delays, take extra care, and carry suitable outdoor clothing, wellington boots and mobile phones as a precaution. Train services are scheduled to be running as normal.

A full breakdown of road and bridge closures is available here.

Weather

Rivers across the county are still fast-flowing. Refer to the Environment Agency updates for details about flood warnings.

The weather forecast remains unchanged and winds are expected to ease overnight.

Searches

House to house searches in Cockermouth have now been completed by the emergency services and all properties were clear.

55 people remain unaccounted for on the Casualty Bureau files. Personnel have been working hard to locate these people. The Casualty Bureau has been switched to an answer service overnight and will reopen at 8am on Monday 23 November. Call 0800 056 0944 if you are concerned for the welfare of someone you know. If you have called to request information about someone's whereabouts, but have since made contact with them, please contact the bureau so that their file can be closed.

Reception Centres

There are 38 people sheltering at the Cockermouth Sheep and Wool Centre, 20 at Skiddaw Hotel in Keswick and 20 at the Convention Centre in Keswick.

Recovery

The police are continuing to chair the multi-agency response to the floods and the focus overnight will remain on keeping communities safe and responding to any calls for service. Meanwhile, in the background, work has begun on planning the recovery to normality for the people and communities across Cumbria that have felt the effects of the worst rainfall in England since records began.