Army assesses task on flood-hit Somerset Levels

Relief among residents after government orders army to help, with more rain and high tide due at weekend

Military planners are carrying out a recce on the Somerset Levels after the government ordered the army to help flood-stricken residents and businesses, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Experts are spending the morning surveying the Levels and working out how they can help the emergency services, local authorities and other agencies. Once that assessment is complete they will sit down with county council chiefs and draw up a plan.

The government has said soldiers may help to deliver food and supplies, ferry around stranded villagers, and lay out more sandbags in preparation for the weekend, when more rain and a high tide could cause more flooding.

There was relief among residents that the army was on the ground, but also anger that it had taken so long for the government to take notice.

“We’re grateful that something is being done,” said Bryony Sadler, a hairdresser and mother who has endured weeks of flooding. “I’m thankful someone seems to be listening at last. But it’s been such a long time coming. It’s been total mismanagement so far.”

Retired major Mark Corthine, whose farmhouse was flooded for four months last year and who is facing months of disruption again this winter and spring after his home was inundated with sewage-infected water, said he was pleased. “But in reality it’s come two weeks too late,” he said. “I’m sorry it’s taken a disaster for the Environment Agency and the government to take notice of what is happening here.”

Corthine said soldiers could help to hand out more sandbags, and amphibious vehicles could help communities that remained partially cut off. He said he feared for what could happen at the weekend as more rain sweeps into the west of England and coincides with high tides. “I’m worried that water could come pouring in and more homes be flooded,” he said.

Local political leaders have been calling for help for weeks. David Hall, deputy leader of the Conservative-controlled Somerset county council, said he was pleased that the army might be able to alleviate pressure on local authority workers and the emergency services, who have taken the lead in operations such as ferrying stranded villagers in and out of their communities.

Hall said it was also comforting to know that the army and its equipment would be close at hand if there was more flooding at the weekend.

On Wednesday the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, said: “The Ministry of Defence and the Department for Local Government are discussing how we could deploy specialist vehicles which could help some of those villages which have been cut off, to help people travel backwards and forwards, to get fuel and food in and out, and to help with transport from dry land. And secondly, there will also be help with sandbags which could help prevent further flooding.”

Paterson was met with hostility when he visited Somerset on Monday, with farmers, politicians and church leaders demanding immediate action to alleviate what furious …read more