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By Meghan Roos
Live Blog Writer
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Hundreds of properties in England have flooded as a result of Storm Babet, which prompted weather experts to issue rare weather warnings last week as the storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to the United Kingdom (U.K.).
The U.K.'s Environment Agency (EA) said there will continue to be a risk of "significant" flooding in England through the end of this week. Most of the "severe" flooding EA officials addressed on Monday was in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
At least 1,260 properties were reported to have flooded as a result of the storm, the EA said in a Monday news release. Agency officials were continuing efforts to protect homes and businesses by assembling temporary flood barriers and using pumps to move floodwater. So far, the EA estimated 41,000 properties were protected from flooding as a result of these precautions. Even so, "it is vital the public remains cautious," EA Flood Duty Manager Sarah Cook said in the release.
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Newsweek reached out to the EA by email on Monday for additional information about the flooded properties.
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The Met Office, which serves as the U.K.'s national weather service, introduced Babet as a named storm on October 16. Two days later, the Met Office issued its first Red weather warning of 2023 for parts of Scotland, warning that heavy rainfall and potential flooding could pose a "danger to life." A second Red weather warning was issued for October 21.
A Met Office spokesperson told Newsweek at the time that Red weather warnings are "relatively rare" for the U.K. and "reserved for the most extreme weather impacts." Before Babet, the U.K.'s last Red weather warning was issued during a July 2022 heat wave.
As Storm Babet dumped rain on the region, people throughout the U.K. posed photos and videos on social media showing flooded roads and rising river levels. The Met Office reported that several areas received "well over their average" rainfall totals for October in less than one week.
At least four people in the U.K. had died as a result of the storm's impacts by Monday, and another death in Germany was also linked to Babet, according to The Associated Press.
With more rain in the forecast this week, several communities remain under flood alerts and warnings. The EA said 105 flood warnings and 108 flood alerts were still in place Monday afternoon, with additional warnings expected to be issued for parts of Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
People in areas that either already had floodwater concerns or that were under flood watches or warnings were urged to keep track of local alerts, avoid driving through floodwater and stay away from rivers that could see water levels rise further with additional rainfall.
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