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The Cumbria Floods: A Week On

Posted by Janine John on
Kendal BID Christmas Fair
Getting back to normal – Kendal Christmas Fair today in the South Lakes

It’s been a week now since I watched with horror on social media as water levels rose and rivers burst their banks in towns and villages all over the Lake District and Cumbria. Storm Desmond was the main story on every news channel, with Cumbria being one of the worst affected areas in the UK.

For some, the floods were devastating. One man died in tragic circumstances in Staveley, near Kendal, and I’ve heard tales about a number of animals lost to the waters – the story shown in tonight’s Countryfile on BBC1 was a very sad example. Many people’s homes were damaged, as were much loved businesses in the area.

I’m very thankful not to have been affected personally by the floods, and I didn’t venture out while they were happening as it would have been reckless to do so with emergency services already stretched. I therefore thought the best way to illustrate some of what I saw last weekend, and have seen since, would be to share a few tweets with you.

The sheer power of water

Pictures we never imagined we’d see

Bouncing back stronger than ever

Now that the flood waters have receded, the message is that Cumbria is very much open and welcoming visitors.

It will take time for some businesses to recover, and for the worst affected roads and bridges to be repaired (the A591 closure between Grasmere and Keswick being the biggest challenge for those travelling around the Lakes), but it can also be easy to assume from the news reports that the whole area has been affected. This isn’t the case so, if in doubt, check with individual visitor attractions and accommodation providers, and look up the local travel news for all the latest information.

The Lakes is as beautiful as ever!

Messages of support

It was wonderful to see the number of messages of support received from those living outside the Lake District. I am sure the individuals who received such messages have been very touched. These people will definitely be back:

Many people have been asking how they can help those most severely affected by the flooding across Cumbria (including towns and cities outside the Lake District such as Carlisle and Appleby). If this is something you would like to do, you can visit the Cumbria Community Foundation website where you will find details of how to donate money to the Cumbria Flood Appeal online, by mobile, or by post. Thank you.

Published by Janine John

Hello, I'm Janine, and I'm exploring the Lake District in search of the area's very best hidden gems! If, like me, you love the Lakes and enjoy the simple things in life (you won't find me in the mountains on this blog, but maybe in a tearoom!), join me again to read more about my latest local finds and adventures.

One Comment Add yours

  1. Janine John says:
    December 29, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    Unfortunately it will be some time until the A591 between Grasmere and Keswick is repaired after the floods, but otherwise a lot of the Lake District is open and accessible – if in doubt, contact one of the local information centres for specific travel and activity information. There is also some really useful information at: http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/aboutus/news/news-pages/cumbria-floods

    Reply

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