FIREFIGHTERS have demanded emergency funding to tackle widespread flooding after thousands of residents were evacuated from their homes and transport links ground to a halt in the wake of Storm Henk.
Hundreds of flood warnings are still in place across Britain with more than 1,000 properties in England flooded.
The Environment Agency has warned that “significant river flooding impacts” are also expected this weekend.
Since 2010 funding for the Environment Agency has been axed by two-thirds, including funding for flood defences and resilience. More than 2,000 jobs have been axed.
In the call for emergency funding, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack said: “When floods threaten people’s homes, lives and livelihoods, it’s firefighters who step in to protect communities.
“Storm Henk follows a winter of storm after devastating storm and more is to come.
“It’s high time that the government woke up to the realities of the climate emergency.
“Shockingly, fire and rescue services in England still don’t have a statutory duty to plan and respond to floods.
“Instead, we have had more than a decade of cuts, with one in five firefighter jobs lost since 2010.
“Westminster must adequately fund the fire service for flood response, so that firefighters have the resources they need to keep the public safe.”
Adam Taylor, the union’s executive council member for the East Midlands, said: “Firefighters are working in extreme conditions across the Midlands, rescuing people and animals at risk from severe flooding.
“Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire have been hit particularly hard, with the River Trent declared a major incident due to extreme high water levels.
“Fire services in the worst impacted areas are stretched dangerously thin, as we’re seeing in Leicestershire, piling immense pressure on our dedicated firefighters to respond without adequate resources.
“Flooding is on the rise, and we must have the equipment and emergency crews needed to keep people safe. Our services need urgent funding.”
Environment campaign Greenpeace revealed that of England’s 64,000 “high consequence” flood defences, 4,200 were rated as either “poor” or “very poor” – including areas recently hit by floods.
Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Georgia Whitaker said: “While the prime minister is on a tour to kick off the election year, thousands of people are seeing their homes, businesses and fields wrecked by rising water.
“We’ve known for decades that the climate crisis would bring more rainfall and flooding and yet the government completely failed to prepare for it.
“Thousands of flood defences are in a state of disrepair and ministers are still allowing developers to build in high-risk areas, while also pushing for more oil and gas drilling that will only make the problem worse. It’s a double failure.
“(Prime Minister Rishi) Sunak should take a break from his glad-handing tour and see for himself what the real consequences of climate inaction look like.
“He might learn how voters waist-deep in flood water feel about his plans to slow down climate action ahead of the election.”
Labour accused the government of “ignoring stark warnings over communities at risk of flooding” and called for a “Cobra-style” taskforce to be established to deal with the emergency.
Its shadow environment secretary Steve Reed said: “This is not about extra money.
“This is about ensuring that the budget already committed to flood defences is used to maximum effect. If that doesn’t happen, homes across the country will remain exposed.
“Labour would create a Cobra-style Flood Resilience Taskforce to co-ordinate flood preparation and protect more households from the threats posed by climate change and flooding.”
On the campaign trail in Stockport, Mr Sunak said: “I just want people to be reassured that the Environment Agency has got people on the ground in all the affected areas.”
