Publication Date December 6, 2015 | BBC News

Storm Desmond: Homes flooded and thousands without power

United Kingdom
Emergency workers use an inflatable raft to rescue two women from flooding. Photo: BBC
Emergency workers use an inflatable raft to rescue two women from flooding. Photo: BBC

Provisional figures suggest more than 340mm of rain fell in 24 hours in the Lake District. The current record is 316.4mm of rain over the same time period at Seathwaite, Cumbria, in 2009...In 2010, a £38m flood defence scheme for Carlisle - which has seen some of the worst flooding - was completed in a bid to protect about 3,000 homes and businesses around the city. Floods minister Rory Stewart said defences - which have been criticised - had given authorities more time to evacuate people and kept flood levels down. The defences "held strong" but the huge levels of rain were too much for them, he said...However, Mayor of Keswick Paul Titley said the defences had been "completely overwhelmed". "The flood defences were designed for a one in 100-year event and since it's six years since we had the last one, we were sort of surprised that we got one so soon," he added