Cumbria businesses threatened again in new flood warnings crisis

Businesses in Cumbria, Lancashire and Wales are once again being threatened by flooding after more warnings came into place yesterday.

Glenridding hotel and the Trout in Cockermouth - have suffered their second serious flooding episode in weeks, and their third or fourth incident in the past six years, after the flooding of 2009 and 2012, as the water levels rose in Appleby, Keswick, Kendal and Glenridding, and the surrounding areas.

The Met Office has also issued yellow warnings for rain throughout the county over Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and the Environment Agency confirmed it was preparing for more floods.

Writing on its Facebook page, the Glenridding hotel yesterday said that its bar, kitchen and beer gardens were once again suffering flooding, and had needed fire brigade crews to help pump out over two feet of water.

"We just need to smile and carry on," the post added, although the owners also wrote that they were "feeling defeated".

Businesses affected early in December included Simon Rogan's Michelin-starred restaurant L'Enclume, the Glenridding hotel, the Trout hotel in Cockermouth, the Lakeside hotel on Lake Windermere, the Daffodil hotel in Grasmere, the Swan hotel in Newby Bridge and the Whitewater hotel and leisure club in Backbarrow.

Throughout the crisis, Cumbria Tourism has continually reiterated the county's resilience, and said that businesses would aim to be as operational and open as possible.

The Cumbria Community Foundation Recovery Appeal, which was launched on 5 December following the initial floods, has raised over £3m in donations to date, which will be added to a further £1m from the government, with more hoped for. The original £1m target of the fund has been raised to £5m as the damage and number of places affected has increased.

The government also announced a £50m fund for victims on 9 December.

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