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Amid floods, transportation havoc, and fragile infrastructure, a sustained blast of winter is testing Britain's fabled resolve

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A rescue worker surveys the scene as a fallen tree lies against a house in Birmingham, England, Monday Dec. 30, 2013, after high winds and heavy rain battered the UK throughout the night.Joe Giddens/The Associated Press

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Pedestrians are reflected in a window as they walk through rain near Tower Bridge in London, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. At least three people have died in a wave of stormy weather that has battered Britain since last week, including a man killed when his mobility scooter fell into a river in Oxford, southern England.Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press

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People watch and photograph enormous waves as they break, on Porthcawl harbour, South Wales, Monday Jan. 6, 2014. Residents along Britain's coasts are braced for more flooding as strong winds, rain and high tides lash the country. At least three people have died in a wave of stormy weather that has battered Britain since last week, including a man killed when his mobility scooter fell into a river in Oxford, southern England.Ben Birchall/The Associated Press

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Flood water inundates a children's playground near Tewkesbury Abbey, as heavy rain continues to fall across the country, in Tewksbury, England, Tuesday Jan. 7, 2014. Britain's weather forecasters are warning of more rain over the coming days, with strong winds hammering coastal regions.Tim Ireland/The Associated Press

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A train passes along the coast at Saltcoats in Scotland, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, as Britain is braced for the worst as a combination of high tides, heavy rains and strong winds are expected to bring yet more severe flooding to many parts of the country. The storm follows severe weather in early December and over Christmas.Danny Lawson/The Associated Press

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Waves crash onto the promenade between Fleetwood and Blackpool, as high tides and huge waves hit the North West England, Monday Jan. 6, 2014. Residents along Britain's coasts are braced for more flooding as strong winds, rain and high tides lash the country.John Giles/The Associated Press

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Large waves crash onto the road in the coastal village of Carnlough, Northern Ireland, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. High tides and strong winds have caused flooding in some coastal areas of Northern Ireland but the tide peaked without major flooding in Belfast.Peter Morrison/The Associated Press

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Holiday chalets at Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park are surrounded by flood water caused by high tides in Kidwelly, West Wales, January 3, 2014.REBECCA NADEN/Reuters

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Waves crash against the promenade in Aberystwyth, Wales Monday Jan. 6, 2014 as strong winds and high tides continue in western Britain . Weather forecasting body the Met Office warned of wind gusts of up to 70 mph (113 kph), accompanied by exceptionally large waves, along the coasts of Wales, southwest England and Northern Ireland on Monday. The Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning meaning there is a threat to life and property — for the county of Dorset in southwestern England, as well as more than 300 less serious flood warnings and alerts.Dave Thompson/The Associated Press

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The A487 main road between Haverfordwest and St David's in Pembrokeshire is closed due to a mountain of pebbles left after storms at Newgale, West Wales, January 5, 2014.REBECCA NADEN/Reuters

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