Leading article: Spirit on the water
The Environment Agency has called it a "once in a thousand year" flood. And the impact of this week's unprecedentedly heavy rainfall in Cumbria has certainly been severe. Scores of people have had to be evacuated from their inundated homes. More than a thousand have been left without electricity or hot water. A policeman was killed after being swept away when a bridge collapsed.
But it has to be said that Cumbria has, so far, dealt with this challenge with a remarkable absence of fuss. The emergency services have been working diligently and efficiently, rescuing people by boat and helicopter. Schools have been converted into emergency shelters. Soup kitchens have been set up. Flooded families have been taken in by relatives and friends.
It is heartening to see that the traditional British spirit of "keep calm and carry on" endures, no matter what horrors the weather throws at these islands.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our new commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies