Prime Minister David Cameron has chaired the first Cabinet Committee meeting on Flooding. The new Committee was set up by the Prime Minister earlier this week to coordinate strategic long-term plans on flood recovery and flood resilience, following the severe weather.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron said:

We are doing everything we can to help people and businesses deal with the flooding and get back on their feet. And through this new Cabinet Committee we are doing all we can to ensure resilience in the future.

The first meeting of the Commitee follows the announcement yesterday (Wednesday 12 February) of a comprehensive package of new measures to help hard-working homes, businesses and farmers hit by the floods.

David Cameron’s statement on the UK storms and flooding – Tuesday 11 February

David Cameron’s statement on the UK storms and flooding – Tuesday 11 February

Photos of the Prime Minister’s visits to Devon, Dorset and Somerset

Government departments, local authorities and agencies are working together to do everything they can to help communities at risk.

• Get the latest – Somerset, Dawlish and the Thames Valley
• Government announcements
• Military support
• Power supplies
• Government action on flood defences
• Be prepared – advice from government agencies

Get the latest

Dawlish

A section of the railway, adjacent road and the sea wall has been destroyed by the sea, washing away the foundations on which the track was built. There is also severe damage to the track and platforms at Dawlish station.

The line between Exeter and Plymouth will remain closed until further notice. The train operator First Great Western is procuring additional road coaches to deliver a more robust replacement service.

There will be £5 reduction on all tickets for domestic flights from Newquay – delivered through a government grant to Cornwall Council. The reduction will take effect from Wednesday and will be in place for at least 2 weeks.

Somerset

Military personnel, mostly Royal Marines, are helping by deploying sandbags and improving flood defences. They have now moved to Moorland where they are using 2 Pinzgauer tracked vehicles to help evacuate 140 properties. Military planners are working with relevant agencies at a range of locations to scope what further support the military can offer.

The Environment Agency continues to work day and night, alongside the emergency services and other local specialist agencies to get communities ready for the bad weather. They are running the biggest pumping operation ever seen on the Somerset Levels, with around 2.9 million tonnes of water being pumped out every day – that’s the equivalent of 3 Wembley Stadiums.

Specialist pumping equipment has been ordered to clear roads, in addition to the extra pumps government has already sent, and they will keep looking at all options for pumping and dredging. But no amount of pumping will solve the current problem completely because the land is so saturated, so dredging will start as soon as the waters recede enough for it to be safe to do so.

In addition, demountable flood defences and sandbags are being given out and the Agency continues to clear waterways to ensure as many properties as possible are protected.

Work has already begun on an action plan to deliver robust defences against floods in Somerset over the next 20 years.

Thames Valley

100 personnel from HMS Sultan built a sandbag dam at Datchet near Windsor, over the weekend, which was completed on Monday morning. 200 personnel from HMS Collingwood and HMS Sultan are filling sandbags at Chievley, to be used in the Thames Valley area. 80 personnel transporting sandbags and building flood defences at Chertsey and Staines.

Communities along the Thames, particularly in Berkshire and Surrey, are being warned to expect further severe property flooding from the River Thames into Tuesday. See flood warnings for south east England

Government announcements

Thursday 13 February

• First meeting of new Cabinet Committee on Flooding
• Eric Pickles statement to Parliament on changes to the Bellwin scheme
• Transport Secretary meets with bus industry to help tackle weather disruption
• Citizens Advice support for flood and storm victims
• Brandon Lewis’ statement on sandbags

Wednesday 12 February

• Eric Pickles’ statement to Parliament on the latest situation
• £61 million for rail resilience and roads recovery
• Further flood support from government
• New measures to help communities hit by flooding
• Tax helpline launched to support people affected by flooding

Tuesday 11 February

• David Cameron’s statement on the UK storms and flooding
• Government cuts cost of flying from Cornwall

Monday 10 February

• Eric Pickles’ statement following the evening COBR meeting
• Eric Pickles updates the House of Commons on the latest situation
• Nick Clegg visits flooded areas and promises government support

Sunday 9 February

• Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a meeting of COBR to discuss the latest situation.

Saturday 8 February

• Eric Pickles’ update following the emergency COBR meeting he chaired in the evening

Friday 7 February

• Military support flood relief operation in Somerset
• Transport Secretary visits Dawlish in south-west
• Eric Pickles’ statement following the COBR meeting

Thursday 6 February

• Forty two new flood defences given the green light
• Eric Pickles’ statement to Parliament: government action taken to respond to floods and extreme weather

Wednesday 5 February

• PM announces £100 million for flood defences and “no restrictions on help” for those affected by storms
• More support for communities affected by floods

Military support

Over 1,400 military personnel are on the ground filling sandbags and building flood defences in Wraysbury, Somerset Levels, Chertsey, Thorpe Park, Datchet, Chesil Beach and the Thames Valley. In addition, more than 2,100 personnel across the south of the UK have been placed at high readiness ready to respond to flood threats.

Power supplies

There have disruptions to power supply related to high winds, which have delayed reconnection. The majority of these are in Wales. Western Power is contacting any vulnerable clients in affected areas.

The government is in regular contact with the Electricity Distribution Network Operators and the Energy Networks Association. The Distribution Network Operators are very focused on keeping their customers updated in the event of any disruption to power supplies. See ‘Who to call if you have a power cut’.

Government action on flood defences

England has faced the wettest January since 1766. The government response to this includes:

• £30 million to be spent on urgent flood defence repairs this year on top of the £100 million next year
• 42 new flood schemes given the green light
• 55 schemes starting work this year
  • they will protect over 43,000 households across the country
  • they represent an investment of over £344 million in total
• Existing flood defences and improvements to the way the the Environment Agency respond to incidents has meant over 1.2 million properties and nearly 2,500 square kilometres of farmland has been protected since the beginning of December

Be prepared

Latest information and advice about the severe weather and floods from government agencies and partners.

Environment Agency

For advice on the risk of flooding in your area and how to prepare, visit the Environment Agency’s website or follow them on Twitter: @EnvAgency.

Met Office

For the latest severe weather warnings visit the Met Office website or follow them on Twitter: @MetOffice.

Highways Agency

For advice on travel by road visit the Highways Agency website or follow them on Twitter: @Highways_Agency.

Local councils

Use this tool to find your local council and their advice.

National Rail

Check with National Rail Enquiries for the latest updates on service disruptions

Public Health England

Advice on what to do before, during and after a flood. Health issues related to food, water and cleaning up after flooding. Read: Frequently asked questions on the health issues of flooding

Who to call if you have a power cut

Your chosen electricity provider sells you energy, but it’s your local distribution network operator who maintains the power lines that connect your home or business to the network.

Take a look now and make a note of the number of the company that covers your area in case you need to use it at some stage. Further information: Who to call when you have a power cut

Further information

Numerous government departments and agencies are working together to provide support throughout the severe weather. In addition to those listed above, further information and advice can be found on the following websites and Twitter channels:

• Department of Energy & Climate Change Twitter: @DECCgovuk
• Department for Transport Twitter: @transportgovuk