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Floods Devastate Parts of UK, Ireland COCKERMOUTH, ENGLAND (Associated Press) -


Cars have been floating down the street in one town and military helicopters have been winching people to safety across England's swamped Lake District today.

The region has been hit by unprecedented rains this week, with government forecasters saying more than a foot of rain was recorded in a 24 hours at one location.

While the rain has stopped today, at least 960 homes have been flooded in the northern region of Cumbria, and emergency crews have rescued hundreds of people. One police constable died after a collapsing bridge knocked him into a surging river.

Emergency crews have rescued hundreds, and soldiers have been going house-to-house searching for those trapped. Some troops dropped from helicopters onto rooftops, breaking through to lift people to safety.

Heavy rain and gales are also bringing widespread flooding to Ireland. More than 3 feet of water shut down the center of Cork, the country's second-largest city, as well as a dozen more towns and villages. © Copyright 2012, Associated Press