The great flood of York: Thousands are evacuated from their homes after barriers were deliberately OPENED - as residents are told to switch off Christmas lights because of power shortages
- The pub that washed away: 200-year-old building is reduced to rubble by raging waters as the worst floods in decades wreak havoc across Britain
- Inches from death: Shocking video shows rescuers plucking driver from his car as it fills up with water as floods close in
- Group of Boxing Day shoppers have to be rescued from a faulty lift after getting stuck for more than half an hour
Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in York (pictured) after flood gates protecting the historic city were deliberately opened by the Environment Agency - sending raging torrents through the streets. The authority took to the decision to open the Foss Barrier - a flood defence which protects the city - amid fears water had got inside the main building, putting pumps in danger of suffering electrical failure. It was feared that if the electrics stopped working, the Environment Agency would not have been able to pump floodwater out of the town - potentially putting even more lives at risk. It means the gates were lifted last night prompting Army personnel and mountain rescue teams to evacuate thousands of people from their flood-hit homes, with up to 3,500 properties now at risk of further flooding. While York is among one of the worst-hit areas, communities across Leeds, Greater Manchester, Cumbria and Lancashire are also suffering. More than 7,500 homes in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are without power today and residents have now been asked to switch off their Christmas lights and not use household appliances to conserve power and help the network cope with the power demands.
The Daily Mail | 27 December 2015
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