Areas of southern and central England are paralyzed by severe floodwaters after receiving 2 months’ worth of rain in one day. A number of towns, including parts of London, have flood warnings in effect through tonight as the rivers continue to rise. This is England’s second public emergency this summer caused by a deluge of rain. (Boy, I admire those Brits. Note how they use the swanky word “deluge” in news articles, whereas the American media relies on the term “flood” and makes repeated, pointed references to Noah’s Arc.)
Hundreds of thousands of residents are currently affected by the loss of services such as tap water and electricity, with officials warning that it could be weeks until the water supply is restored. Entire communities are being evacuated, the trains are not running, and individual horror stories are mounting. “I went out yesterday morning for a latte, to be told it couldn’t happen as the Wiseman dairy was under water,” reports a journalist in Gloucestershire. A hotelier reports that rising waters forced people to spend the night at the hotel.
Hm. The famous British stiff upper lip can weather bombs and terrorism, but apparently dissolves in water faster than a Wham Bar. How can the country that would not bow to Hitler be humbled by 19th century drainage infrastructure?
