Cumbria Underwater, Please Donate

Hi, it is Monday the 23rd November 2009 and all is not well in Cumbria. Since Thurs, we have been experiencing relentless rain and flooding and some parts of the county are in a state of emergency. Thousands of people in Cumbria have been warned today that they could be cut off for months because some of our bridges have either collapsed or are now too dangerous to use.

As a county, Cumbria is mostly rural and perhaps best known for The Lake District National Park. It is one of the most gorgeous parts of the UK. Tiny roads run cross country between towns that are miles apart. It is a big county, and with mountains, forests, lakes and a coastline. People love visiting because of the natural beauty and because of the wide open spaces and places to get away from it all. We rely heavily on tourism and many industries are seasonal.

The flooding at the moment is devastating. People have been evacuated from their homes in Workington, Carlisle and Cockermouth. Many of our old bridges, that were designed for horse and cart traffic have either collapsed or are in danger of doing so. As I write it is still raining. Workington is in danger of being cut off for months. The Calva bridge that links the north and the south of the town is no longer safe, so the town is completely divided. The whole town was cut off from the rest of the county when the Northside Bridge collapsed on Friday. PC Bill Barker was killed when he was swept away stopping a bus from crossing just as the bridge collapsed. Chief Constable Craig Mackey has created a Face Book page to pay tribute and already there have been an overwhelming 10,000 + people pledging their support to his family and colleagues. I hope this support continues beyond the hype of the news. So many families will be emotionally and financially suffering for months to come. The area was already hard hit by the recession and they will need massive help to recover from this.

Currently, engineers and military experts continue to monitor the county's 1,800 bridges which are in danger of collapse. Gordon Brown has pledged a million pounds to help with the clear up, I'm not so sure how much difference that will make to the 50-100 million pounds of damage. About twenty boats on Lake Windermere have sunk due to the floods and holiday homes near the lake have been evacuated. A recovery company is meant to be coming today to raise the boats, but it is still raining.

Thirteen primary schools and five secondary schools will be closed today, with the majority hoping to reopen on Tuesday. Our local high school, Ulverston Victoria has been used as a refuge centre for people with no where to stay. About 60 people were still sheltering in the two main reception centres. Local people are offering temporary accommodation to those affected by the floods. If you would like to be added to this list - please send your name and contact details including phone numbers - and a brief summary of what you can offer, to Julian at Visit Cumbria: julian@visitcumbria.com Tel 07747 146816. Local tradespeople offering help with flood damage clearance and repairs are also invited to send contact details and a brief summary of what they can offer and can have a free listing on Visit Cumbria.

Another downpour is expected in the coming days, with strong winds tomorrow night. The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund, set up by the Cumbria Community Foundation reached £145,000 so far, but so much more is needed. If you would like to help, you can donate through the Cumbria Foundation. http://www.cumbriafoundation.org who have a Give Now button on their site.