The inherent kindness of humanity has
come to the fore in the recent flooding disaster which has hit the
north of the UK recently.
The true scale of 'Storm Desmond' is
still to be fully realised as emergency services and soldiers from
all over England continue to bring aid to those affected.
But in the worst-hit communities of
Carlisle and Cockermouth, work has started closer to home. The BBC
has reported hundreds of people working hard to help out. A Facebook
group designed to bring together people who could help has already
attracted 11,000 followers from as far afield as London, Wales and
Belfast, and a team of 12 has been drafted in to help cope with the
number of donations and volunteers.
Haulage company Eddie Stobart has
offered free storage space in Carlisle to house the mountains of
donations pouring in. The group has been swamped with offers of
everything from nappies, kitchen utensils and generators to crates of
water, toiletries, free furniture and a bed for the night.
It's 'amazing who you meet in these
hard times,' wrote member Michelle Smith on the Facebook page.
"Tonight I've given my bed up for two old age pensioners and
even though they've lost basically everything they've had me giggling
all night long. God bless community spirit, I am proud to be
Cumbrian."
Catherine Clarke, who runs Cathy's
Cupcakes in Broughton, was invited to join the group and the firm
responded by delivering food and drink to people in need. "On
Saturday, I went to the mountain rescue centre with 50 sausage
sandwiches and 50 bacon sandwiches as well as 60 litres of homemade
soup," she said. "But I'm not the only one, people have
been out all night. Everyone's been trying to do what they can and
all the little companies have been providing help to each other.”
Others have been spreading a little
cheer by foot - Scott Murray donned his superhero suit and dished out
chocolate and directions to the nearest rescue centre in Carlisle and
Alison McKerlie is opening up her dance school in Carlisle to local
businesses and has also offered free classes to children to keep them
occupied.
The Met Office has warned that 'all the
evidence' suggests climate change has played a role in the floods
caused by Storm Desmond. It has also issued a severe weather warning
for rain this week as northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
brace themselves for more heavy downpours. Environment Secretary Liz
Truss said the severity of the weather was 'unprecedented', with a
new record set for rainfall over a 48-hour period - 15.9in at
Thirlmere in Cumbria. The Met Office's chief scientist Dame Julia
Slingo said the extreme weather conditions were 'extraordinary'.
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