Britain is reeling this morning after a killer storm tore through the country, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Sources confirm at least four dead and dozens injured as winds exceeding 100 mph uprooted trees, tore roofs from homes, and brought down power lines. The Met Office has issued a rare red warning, urging millions to stay indoors as the storm, unofficially named Storm Ewan, continues its relentless assault.
Emergency services are stretched to breaking point. In Birmingham, a collapsed crane sent debris raining down on a busy street, narrowly missing a rush-hour crowd. In Cumbria, a family of three was pulled from their flooded car after torrential rain turned roads into rivers. In Devon, a pensioner died when a chimney stack crashed through her bedroom ceiling. The body count is expected to rise.
This is not an act of God. This is the consequence of a Government that refused to invest in flood defences, that cut funding to local councils, that ignored warnings from scientists. I have seen the documents. I have spoken to the experts. They begged for action. They were ignored.
The cost of this storm will run into billions. The human cost is immeasurable. And yet, as I write this, the Prime Minister is still on holiday. His office says he is being briefed. Briefed? He should be here. He should be standing in the rain, looking at the wreckage, answering to the people whose lives have been shattered.
Transport networks are at a standstill. Rail lines are blocked, airports closed, major roads impassable. The army has been deployed, but it is too little, too late. Communities are cut off, isolated, left to fend for themselves. In rural Wales, a father and his two children are missing after their car was swept away by a flash flood. Helicopters are searching. Hope is fading.
The insurance companies are already circling, preparing to deny claims, to exploit loopholes. I have seen their playbook. They will argue that this is an "act of God" so they don't have to pay out. But this is not an act of God. This is an act of neglect.
So here is what you need to know. The storm is not over. Another band of heavy rain is moving in. Flood warnings are in place across much of the country. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary. Check on your neighbours. Stay safe.
And when the storm passes, when the waters recede, when the debris is cleared, ask your MP: why did they let this happen? Ask the Prime Minister: why were we not prepared? Demand answers. Because the storm is not the only thing that is coming. The truth is coming, too.
I will be following the money. I will be looking at the contracts, the cutbacks, the cronyism. The bodies are not yet cold, but the shredders are already warm. I will find out who knew what and when they knew it. And I will tell you. I promise you that.
