Residents evacuated from 250 homes in the UK
Houses in the UK were engulfed today as tributaries feeding the Thames spilled over on to the river’s already waterlogged flood plain.
Overnight emergency services evacuated people from around 250 flooded homes in the Oxford area, in the west of the city, taking them to an emergency shelter set up.
UK Police said the affected roads are Botley Road, East Street, West Street, South Street, Bridge Street, Riverside Road and Earl Street.
A spokesman said: “There is no immediate risk to the sub-power station at Ferry Hinksey Road but emergency services are monitoring the situation closely.
“There has been some loss of power to premises in the Botley Road area.”
This morning on Old Botley, a small road completely under water, Angela MacKeith, 61, who remained in her home, said: “We are under two feet of water throughout the house.
“The awful thing is that this time last year we were in the same situation after a flash flood.”
She said water began brimming up from between the flagstones in her kitchen at lunchtime yesterday.
“It appeared to be bubbling straight up from the water table. We are also on the Thames flood plain here which doesn’t help,” she said.
“There are two good things though – there are no turds in the water and the sun is shining.”
Geoff Bell, of the Environment Agency, said the area of west Oxford currently in flood is on the Thames flood plain.
He said the water on the plain is working its way from the fields outside the city into the residential area.
In addition, tributaries in the area such as Bullstake Stream are now spilling over and compounding the flooding.
He said the Thames was expected to rise about an inch this morning.
