Heavy rains and strong winds cause flooding in parts of Britain

2014-01-10 176

Communities in parts of the United Kingdom were under water on Friday.

Heavy rain and strong winds flooded areas, and communities in south-eastern England -- like Surrey and Oxfordshire -- were severely affected.

Aerial video showed fields and residential roads submerged.

Emergency services were using pumps and sandbags to help keep the flooding under control.

More than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since late December.

Seven people have died in the flooding and Britain's insurers are preparing to pay out hundreds of millions of pounds in property claims.