Rivers swollen by Britain's worst flooding in 60 years were expected to reach peak levels late Tuesday, as rescue workers helped residents and 350,000 people without drinking water, AP reported. Large swathes of land remained flooded as emergency workers tried to pump water from affected areas and residents embarked on salvage operations, piling sandbags against doors to keep the water out. «Everytime you see the rain come, you think 'Oh, God,»' said Valerie Long, as she tore out drenched carpet from her home near the swollen River Thames in Buscot, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) west of London. «We wanted a riverside pub, not a pub in the river,» said Stephen Parker, who worked alongside his wife to clean up the Maybush Pub in nearby Newbridge. Dinner plates with leftover roasts still lay on the tables where Sunday afternoon customers left quickly when the River Thames burst its banks. Britain has had one of its wettest summers on record _ a sharp contrast to last summer, which was one of its driest and hottest. Nearly 5 inches (12.70 centimeters) of rain fell in some areas on Friday alone. More rain then fell on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. While flood waters began to recede in Gloucester and Tewkesbury _ two of the hardest-hit communities _ towns and villages west of London on the River Thames were anxiously watching water levels. The Thames was expected to peak in Pangbourne, Purley and the Reading area by late Tuesday to early Wednesday. Emergency officials, however, said they expected the levels to be lower than in the worst-affected areas. «Rainfall wise, the worst is over, certainly for the working week,» said John Hammond, a forecaster at Britain's weather service. «It's going to be a mixed week, but there certainly won't be the high rainfall we saw at the end of last week.» One person was reported missing in the floods, Gloucestershire police said Tuesday. Mitchell Taylor, 19, from Tewkesbury, was reported missing shortly after leaving a bar in the deluged town in the early hours of Saturday. Although no drownings were reported from the floods, one woman went into early labor and the twin babies died. She called for help after going into premature labor in Tewkesbury. A paramedic could not get to her because of the high waters so two Royal Air Force helicopters were sent, according to Gloucestershire Police.
