Worst Floods In Modern History (UK)

Originally posted by stumason
The problem isn't the building itself, it's relying on 150 year old drainage systems which aren't up to the job. With modern drainage systems and design, much of the flood water can be carried underneath developments, stored in water "attenuators" and released slowly, so that nowhere will flood.

At last! A subject where I AM an expert, being the card carrying Civil Engineer wot I am!!

The drainage systems aren't going to work if the flood water is above the outfall level. You can build all the flood defences around a town that you want but as soon as that outfall level gets water above it you are bolloxed, because water is self levelling. If its risen to a meter above the outfall then everything that is a meter above the outfall will be flooded. If a town/village is built in a hollow and the outfall is shallow...well....

You can store water in tank sewers and storm culverts, and release it slowly using hydrobrakes, but the tanks themselves have to be huge and capable of taking the amount of water going into them - in this case we've been dealing with rainfall figures that are unprecedented and fairly hard to plan for.

If the weather pattern this summer is going to become the norm then whats actually needed are properly constructed dykes, like they have in Holland, along the river banking in order to ensurte the water is contained and keep the flows away from the towns should the water levels rise. Either that or serious dredging of rivers, brooks, becks and minor tributaries. Thats the kind of thing thats going to take a damn site more money than the £35 million old Gordy Brown is on about chucking at things as it stands.

Personally, I live just off the Pennines at the top of a hill about 700ft above sea level. If I ever get flooded then you're all knackered

What concerns me more is winter. Imagine this rain falling as snow?

[edit on 25/0707/07 by neformore]

I did see on the news that one supermarket had a queue of over 200 people, mostly buying bottled water. When the store manager went outside some folk were selling the water to the rest of the tail end of the queue for £5. They'd paid £2 inside the shop.

Im sorry but I find that sort of thing absolutely disgusting, using this to profiteer from other people. Those who are doing this should be ashamed of themselves. Hope all those affected will pull through this.

@ neformore the comment you posted above why dont you tell the Gov or those in Authority, what needs to be done since you are a civil engineer. Mind you will they listen to you or decide to make up their own minds.

[edit on 25-7-2007 by spencerjohnstone]

The one thing that these floods should be making ABSOLUTELY clear to the people of the UK, is that you can not rely on the government for help, despite all the promises they give to us, and despite all the money we give to them..

It still shocks me to know that people are waisting the bottled water to wash themselves, and flush the toilet...How freakin backwards are some people in this country!

But thats besides the point. For one of "the most developed nations" on Earth, to think we can't get water to those who are currently submerged in feet of water is just a joke..

The government knows we live on flood plains.. London would flood all the time if it wasn't for the Thames barrier!

So... why are we waisting millions, if not billions, on fighting wars with no end, when there is a very real threat of natural destruction just waiting to happen right here at home!!

I will tell you why.. because they want it too happen. Al-Queda mite be an effective tool, but it can't reak the kind of havoc that a natural disaster can.

I have to admit I'm lucky living in uphill Lincoln all we've had is a few drains overflow. But watching the news yesterday, and listening to a couple with two babies, they was complaining about the lack of water to wash the babies. I'm not a father but cant you just either cope or use baby wipes? The water that is being supplied should be for drinking and food use, haven't these people heard of 'Rationing' your supplies so you dont run low when you do require it.

Originally posted by spencerjohnstone
@ neformore the comment you posted above why dont you tell the Gov or those in Authority, what needs to be done since you are a civil engineer. Mind you will they listen to you or decide to make up their own minds.
[edit on 25-7-2007 by spencerjohnstone]

I'm sure greater minds than mine will probably have told them it already. Sadly when it comes to housing policy, or infrastructure development it seems that the powers that be think its more important to spend millions stationing troops in Iraq.

....which leads me to wonder how much faster and more effective the response to this would had been had a large section of our active military not been fighting to keep US oil prices down?

Mind you, I'm just an Engineer....

What is England's version of FEMA? And how are they doing thus far? Are they providing enough medical care, water, ect?

I heard the river Thames just burst its banks this morning is this true? This would be very very bad for everyone in London if this really happened and it keeps raining.

River Thames Burst its Banks

Originally posted by Realtruth
I heard the river Thames just burst its banks this morning is this true? This would be very very bad for everyone in London if this really happened and it keeps raining.

Yes but it burst its banks in Oxford. The Thames is quite a long river and from Teddintom eastwards it is tidal.
They knew it was coming as they had been told to expect the peak 3 days ago

Originally posted by LooseLipsSinkShips
What is England's version of FEMA? And how are they doing thus far? Are they providing enough medical care, water, ect?

The Environment Agency are the top dogs, but everything is co-ordinated through cabinet level meetings (COBRA) and local Gold Commands, which incorporate local authorities, civil and military response and even local infrastructure companies (such as my own).

EDIT: To add, apparently the Thames in Reading is expected to burst it's banks tonight. We are lucky though, as we haven't actually built much on the flood plains in town, but rather use them as recreational area's, such as parks and play area's. Any flooding should be minimal.

Ironically, the environment Agency building is actually sited on the riverbank, so if the Thames does flood, they will get rather soggy!

[edit on 25/7/07 by stumason]

Right...........................Let's get some perspective, shall we?

I am based in the TAC in Gloucester on Eastern Avenue.

At approximately 03:30 hours on Monday 23rd July, 103 assorted Navy personnel descended on this Grade 1 listed TA Centre. They were accompanied by a Master Chef and 4 little helpers.

They had 10 man rat packs, shed loads of botttled water but - no sleeping bags, no roll mats, no waders and no change of clothing.

Later that morning about 50 Gurkhas from the Demonstration Battalion at Brecon tipped up in brand spanking new Land Rover Discoveries. (Nice mota if ya can git one!)

Total so far, 157 all ranks - excluding TAC Staff and myself. The RAF were supposed to be at my locstat but - allegedly, they took one look at the task, got back into their Chinook, and flew back to where they'd come from. Not confirmed yet but......................

At present, their are three 'Commands'. 'Gold' is situated at Waterwells in Quedgeley, 'Silver' is the mobile CP, whilst 'Bronze' is the O i/c with the troops on the ground.

As to whether or not 'Gold' has a Chinook as an air asset, I can confirm that rumour control confirms that they indeed have one, and Yes Stu, there is most definately a huge gennie en route. En route to where, and where from, nobody quite knows for sure.

The Royal Marine Advance Party arrived on site yesterday morning and said,

That'll do nicely

, then promptly turned their Squibby noses up at our site and went to the DOG at South Cerney, a further 21 miles from the floods. which proves, to me at least, that Marines and freezing cold water don't mix!

Gurkins bomb-bursted back to Brecon Tuesday at about 14:30 hours with the Navy going back to Plymouth, and their Rear Party left at 20:30 hours.

The Navy has done a splendid job saving the sub station at Walham but then they would, because it's a SUB station.

Not too sure what the Army has done about the floods but I suppose when the Politicos talk about the Army, they are referring to the Armed Forces in general.

It has taken 2 days to clear up the mess. We have no water other than bottled for drinking and bowser water (yukk!:mad for flushing the loos with. (That in itself is a major problem. We have 4 toilets that are backed up because there is insufficient water to flash doo-doo away down into the sewers)

On a personal level, I have not been able to take a shower since Sunday and am getting pretty ripe, unlike my Lady and her mate who managed to scrounge a shower in a married quarter at RAF Brize Norton.

Despite very heavy rain this morning in Gloucester, the floodwater is receeding (much like my hair) and hopefully, all roads, rail and air links will be restored in the next 2 weeks, just in time for the next Postal strike and perhaps we will get potable water.

You can tell that the Great Flood of 2007 is no longer newsworthy because those in the 'Networks' are now concentrating on Oxford and Reading.

With regards to the Thames, well, I've never seen the weir at Pangborne look so nasty, apart from when the Vikings landed. There has always been a bloody impressive 'stopper' there, but the water level was so high, you couldn't see it and Marlow looked pretty grim too.

Not as grim as Gloucestershire, Hereford & Worcestershire but hey! On the bright side, Mr Brown has promised our area a fair share of £40M flood relief and yes! The cheque's in the post, and he's promised he won't come...............................

I have just spoken to my mother who was in nottingham today and she spoke to a londoner who said it took him hours to get to the midlands.Anyhow he was delivering a free london newspaper called london lite?He commented on how the london underground is flooded.
Has anyone heard of this?
I cant find anything on any news about this.My mother was told about this
approx 5 hours ago.Time now 12:30 am.

He commented on how the london underground is flooded.
Has anyone heard of this?
I cant find anything on any news about this.My mother was told about this
approx 5 hours ago.Time now 12:30 am.

Hey there, Londoner here,

Yup i can confirm we have had flooding on the undergrounds and we did so last weeks also, 21st there was also signal damage,

It does happen from time to time so it does not really make the news,

Seems there's more heavy rain to come.

Parts of central and southern England devastated by floods are facing more heavy rain over the next 24 hours.

Link.

Also here's some pictures that are of course fictional, for now, taken from a short film coming up called Flood.

The film imagines the consequences as water flows into London at a terrifying rate, drowning hundreds in the Underground.

Scary stuff.

Those pictures are from a movie they're making. (The ones where the Thames river is flooded over the parliament buildings.

They're from Flood, a low-budget movie starring Robert Carlyle.

Originally posted by johnsky
Those pictures are from a movie they're making. (The ones where the Thames river is flooded over the parliament buildings.

They're from Flood, a low-budget movie starring Robert Carlyle.

Originally posted by Denied
Also here's some pictures that are of course fictional, for now, taken from a short film coming up called Flood.

As i said, its just an example of what it would look like.

Well, it's official. It's been on the News at One on that bastian of broadcasting, the BBC - so it must be true!

Several big-wigs at the Environment Agency including Sir John Harman and Baroness Young, have received bonus payments. In the case of Baroness Young, the sum is alleged to be round about the £23,000 mark.

When taken to task, Baroness young declined to give her bonus to those effected by the floods and both she and Sir John reckon than EA senior staff are worth their bonuses because:

employees responded 'wonderfully well' to the crisis.

Sir John then rejected calls for all monies to be handed back.

Sir John said:

bonuses were paid for 'measured' performance targets, including delivering new flood defences and improving existing defences.

That's alright then! So obviously the people of Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Oxford must have got it all wrong then and all that flood water wasn't there! It must have been a figment of their collective imagination - much like the flood prevention services offered by the Environmental Agency.

I assumed it was actual members of staff who'd received the bonuses ..... not dimwits like Baroness Young

She is more than a 'dimwit' Essan.

I watched a Parliamentary Select Committee grill Baroness Young, during which the Chairman left her in little doubt that he - and I presume the Committee, felt that she and her team was an absolute waste of publice time and money.

The Chairman said something along the lines of:

'As far as I am concerned Baroness Young, you and your department have singurarly failled in your task and have spent in the region of £98M doing so, which of course, as you know, is unacceptable!'

You should have seen her face! Never seen anything like it. He then dismissed her like a naughty little schoolgirl. Amazing. So funny.

I wonder if people know that the government have spent some £1,002 million on operations in Iraq, compared to the paultry £600 million on flood defences.

I recorded this yesterday and never in my life have I seen this river (The River Wye) so high (it's almost reached the top of the bridge), usually it's low here.