pippy Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 OK, we're not talking about USA-style floods where I live but there is a small river which runs along the bottom of our garden. Tonight, for the first time ever, we're on the U.K.'s Environment Agency 'Flood Alert' map!......... Violet area is expected flood-level. Red blob is my house. Green blob is my daughter's school. The 'flood-water' shown in the school grounds is very much there already... Wellies at the Ready! ...and the perfect cue for one of Chloe's favourite tunes!..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKkJHSO8A0 P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Damn man... sorry to hear that.. hope it doesn't get too bad... Ive not been effected where I am but I have seen flooding around the area here and there... Theres a local council estate up the road from me and they have a massive playing field which last week literally looked like a lake. Crazy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 . I'll say a few for you. Good luck and I wish you the best . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 The floods affecting the UK at the moment are bringing misery to thousands of people. It is, no doubt at all a serious problem. I do not want to get into the "global warming" debate (I am a sceptic to say the least) but there are serious questions about building on flood plains. These rivers have been around thousands of years. In times past, people got to know where and how high a river can flood over generations. That local knowledge has been lost today. Now it all is vested in Government agencies like (in the UK) the "Environment Agency". And yet the building on flood plains goes on. Over the last thirty or so years many thousands of homes have been built on the river flood plain and people have been told "thousand year chance" and other such tosh. Well, sorry but you are living in an "occasional" river bed whether you knew it or not and that is just the way it is. Variations in weather patterns can happen global warming or not and these river flood plains have been known for hundreds if not thousands of years. You just DO NOT build there or you put your house on stilts. I feel very sorry for the people affected but part of me can't help but say "it is your own fault" - you knew or should have known what you were buying into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 And yet the building on flood plains goes on....part of me can't help but say "it is your own fault" - you knew or should have known what you were buying into. I take - and, actually, wholeheartedly agree with - your point, pin, but I don't live on the Thames Flood Plain. Nowhere near it. I live at the western edge of Beckenham - 8 miles from the Thames. The area commonly known as 'Crystal Palace' is less than a mile up the road from me and that is the highest elevation of this part of England before you hit the South Downs! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I take - and, actually, wholeheartedly agree with - your point, pin, but I don't live on the Thames Flood Plain. Nowhere near it. I live at the western edge of Beckenham - 8 miles from the Thames. The area commonly known as 'Crystal Palace' is less than a mile up the road from me and that is the highest elevation of this part of England before you hit the South Downs! P. From here my best wishes to you, and may you have the same luck as I had here during the flood in early June 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Where my home is in Bedford they've been building a lot on flood plains. I cant understand why the council would grant planning permission when it floods every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Very best of luck to you one L. I was talking to my buddy who works on Harley street and he said you guys were experiencing record flooding in the country. This was after I started complaining about our drought. We came to the conclusion that when California is in drought, you guys get buckets of rain and when we have a wet year, yours is dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I take - and, actually, wholeheartedly agree with - your point, pin, but I don't live on the Thames Flood Plain. Nowhere near it. I live at the western edge of Beckenham - 8 miles from the Thames. The area commonly known as 'Crystal Palace' is less than a mile up the road from me and that is the highest elevation of this part of England before you hit the South Downs! P. Fair point pippy and I won't attempt to gainsay. But I am left wondering what is the source of the flood risk? Is it a stream / riverlet? Something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Thanks for the goodwill, everyone, but I assure you any rise in water levels will be insufficient to cause us much alarm. Our house is several feet above the level of the river shown (at the bottom of the garden/plot) in the map and for the water level to rise that height half of south-eastern England would have to flood as we're halfway down a hill... Fair point pippy and I won't attempt to gainsay. But I am left wondering what is the source of the flood risk? Is it a stream / riverlet? Something else? It's a small, ancient, river - the River Pool - which, in more recent times, has run it's course in a culvert which was built for the purpose of containing the river over 200 years ago. Our neighbourhood was built around 90 years ago to satisfy the housing requirements in the decade after the end of the Great War. In recorded history there has never previously been a problem but the rain has been a constant for pretty much the whole of the last eight weeks - much of it heavy. The infrastructure in place to deal with the current deluge is having to cope with an unprecedented volume of water and the small river can't drain into the Thames fast enough. Consequently the river / culvert is 'full' and the land adjacent is flooding. But as I say, please, be assured that the worst I expect to happen is to have a very soggy lawn. The upside is I expect a good crop of mint to be in the offing. We always have an abundance of wild mint growing ad hoc in the flower beds and mint thrives in these conditions! My thoughts are more with the people over to the south west who really are experiencing the worst flooding in recorded history. I'd find it more appropriate, for those of you who are so disposed, to spare a thought for those folks who need all the good fortune they can receive. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Oh man that sucks Pip,, I truly hope you fair well and all you get is the soggy lawn and your home stays dry. Good luck brother. Mother nature can be a biatch. But mint is nice ;) Cheers Pippy. Stay dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I hope you are able to get the hedgehogs to higher...shelves maybe, in boxes or something. Luck! rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vangoghsear Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I've been through flooding. I live on a lake that is the third in a string of five lakes. One year, there was a powerful storm, what we call a Northeaster, followed by a hurricane. The ground was already saturated and the lakes rose too high. All of the old dams, built in the 40s gave way one after the other. The water rose to a office type cabin we have in our side yard, about five feet above normal levels. It was three feet high in our tool shed and garage but only touched the floor of the cabin from the bottom and ruined a couple of carpets. I had to wash the floor with disinfectant. It was harrowing though; The waters washed out roads, the old dam, bridges surrounding our house on several roads were out for weeks. We spent the night in a neighbor's third floor after we were forced back home turned back after trying to escape by one of the flooded roads. We ended up having to replace a riding lawnmower and a couple or other things. All in all scary but we survived just fine. I hope you make out okay, stay safe; don't drive into any flooded areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 i've read that the flooding is the worst since 1766 !! store clean drinking/cooking water NOW Pippy, as public water may well become contaminated !! store as much as possible, every vessel you can gather including a bathtub full! floods are no joke and a lack of drinkable water can take lives. also, keep everyone out of the flood water as it will likely have sewage contamination that can devistate the body from even the smallest scratch or pimple. watch for "flashfloods" as they can remove all control of your auto, or take your footing right out from under you......... Our best to Yall Pippy, and all other Londoners involved ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Good luck mate, hope it doesn't reach you but I see you already have some good advise here if it does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Best of luck Pippy, and, seriously, if you need to store anything at mine, just ask. Thankfully, for me to be flooded would take about a billion tonnes of water to form in the valley, from which I live 100metres up the hill. My mother, who is on her own since my step dad died in December, is on the Somerset flats, with a stream in the garden and attempting to sell the house. That situation is not good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Good luck, stay safe, and get your guitars to high ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloon Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Must be a worrying time for you,..indeed for all in the south,keep safe and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloon Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 OK, we're not talking about USA-style floods where I live but there is a small river which runs along the bottom of our garden. Tonight, for the first time ever, we're on the U.K.'s Environment Agency 'Flood Alert' map!......... Violet area is expected flood-level. Red blob is my house. Green blob is my daughter's school. The 'flood-water' shown in the school grounds is very much there already... Wellies at the Ready! ...and the perfect cue for one of Chloe's favourite tunes!..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKkJHSO8A0 P. Keep away from Houses of the Holy.......track 2 and track 8 not appropriate at the mo imo.....although i suppose it depends on your sense of humour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Keep away from Houses of the Holy.......track 2 and track 8 not appropriate at the mo imo.....although i suppose it depends on your sense of humour. Eurythmics - 'Here Comes the Rain Again' followed by.... Mr. B. Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall' .... segue into... Peter Gabriel singing 'Here Comes the Flood' which was ultimately drowned out by... 'The Boss' grinding out his 'Lost in the Flood'... We could play this game for hours. Whilst waiting for the Government's Environmental Agency to get their act together, perhaps... But things are better today than yesterday. At least the sun has been out for around four hours so I'm not panic-buying yet...lol! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Sunshine is a good sign. I hope things will keep on clearing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 In the news today: LONDON (AP) - The River Thames has burst its banks after reaching its highest level in years, flooding riverside towns upstream of London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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