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Emergency aid to help storm ravaged communities in N England

Xinhua, December 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

A 60 million U.S. dollar emergency fund was announced by Britain's transport secretary Sunday to help urgent repair work to transport links destroyed by severe floods in storm-ravaged northern England.

Downing Street also announced Prime Minister David Cameron will Monday tour the storm ravaged north to meet victims of the worst floods in more than a generation.

With many stretches of crucial roads washed away and bridges destroyed by overflowing rivers, some communities have been cut off.

A team of experts from Highways England experts has been tasked with helping communities recovering from floods in Cumbria and neighbouring Lancashire.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the funding will be earmarked to help communities recover from the effects of Storm Desmond and Storm Eva by helping to fund the repairs to key local transport infrastructure.

The funding is part of a government commitment to help towns and villages deal with the effects of the extreme weather over recent weeks.

"We are determined to help families and businesses in Cumbria and Lancashire get back on their feet as soon as possible," McLoughlin said on Sunday.

Sunday's announcement builds on the government emergency funding to tackle the initial aftermath of the severe wet weather to enable authorities in Cumbria and Lancashire to carry out initial assessments of what repairs are required to repair roads and bridges.

Meanwhile emergency teams continued to work Sunday to evacuate people from homes in the historic city of York, after two rivers flowing through the Yorkshire capital city, the rivers Ouse and Foss, caused severe floods, engulfing 400 people and placing 3,500 homes and businesses at risk of being overwhelmed.

More than 20 severe 'red alert' weather warnings remained in place in Northern England, indicating the extreme weather conditions pose a danger to life. In addition hundreds of weather warnings remain in place in the north and in north Wales. Endit