soldiers prince william and prince harry even pitched in, delivering sandbags to residents. the community spirit may have to hold up better than flood barriers. forecasters warn that britain will continue to be pounded by relentless rain not just for days but for weeks to come. >> if we weren't seeing such cold air across the united states... >> reporter: meteorologist joanna robinson says the severe weather in the u.s. is to blame for wreaking havoc over here. so this is like a storm factory. >> it certainly is. a conveyor belt of storms across the atlantic and hitting the u.k.. >> reporter: we found dave smith among the rows of abandoned homes in west london, literally fighting back the tide with his own pumps. >> the level was within half an inch of coming in the house. >> reporter: wow. >> we managed to hire two more pumps. we're doing about 70 u.s. gallon a minute each. >> reporter: 70 gallons a minute each? >> yes. >> reporter: in all he has the capacity to pump 300 gallons a minute, 24 hours a day.