U.K. faces another day of flooding

LONDON — Hundreds of people in Britain mopped up flooded homes Friday after a powerful storm that scoured northern Europe with hurricaneforce gusts kicked up the biggest tidal surge in 60 years, swamping stretches of shoreline.

The rising seas prompted evacuations along the eastern English coast, with 1,400 properties flooded and at least a half- dozen communities at great risk of exceptionally high tides and large waves.

In London, the Thames Barrier — a series of huge metal plates that can be raised across the entire river — closed for a second time in as many days to protect the city from the surge.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said there would be “exceptionally high tides” today, though they were not expected to reach Thursday’s levels, when water swamped seaside promenades and flooded homes. In the town of Hemsby in eastern England, several houses fell into the sea as waves eroded cliffs.

Accidents linked to the storm that roared across Europe on Thursday have killed at least eight people, from Britain to Sweden, Denmark and Poland.

Traffic ground to a halt on icy highways, and train service was canceled in large parts of Sweden. Tens of thousands of people lost electricity.

Scores of flights were canceled at airports in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Poland. More than 1,000 people spent the night at Copenhagen airport where 200 flights were canceled Thursday and about 70 Friday.

Strong winds threatened a collection of Viking ships recovered from the bottom of a Danish fjord in the 1960s and put on exhibition.