Another series of lows and Storm Dennis

[Graham Davis]

The Severn was narrowed many many years ago, to allow navigation especially in the Iron Bridge Gorge. Around Shrewsbury there are numerous flood plains that haven't been built on. The problem is simply that we have had too much rain up here in the Welsh uplands. Remember that during the ice age the Severn took a turn east after Welshpool and then south at Shrewsbury and cut it's way through the ridge at Shrewsbury and then the ridge at Iron Bridge. Both of these "dam" the river to some extent. The whole of the Upper Severn Valley is like one huge lake at the moment!

Clywedog Reservoir, which is a "regulating reservoir" not a water supply one, had 4 mtrs drawn off the week before the last storm to allow for the that storm and that just topped the dam wall. They wanted to draw off another couple of metres but there was no-where to take that water, so now it is pouring over it and swelling an already swollen Severn.  Vrynwy is in the same boat and that joins the Severn not far above Shrewsbury.

I was at Welshpool Airport today, where I had volunteered to help Welsh Air Ambulance to clean their hanger, and they were saying that they had never been flooded before and the Airport management couldn't remember when the runway had ever been inundated. Normally it stops at the boundary where their land is been built up a little. Luckily they managed to fly the helio out to RAF Cosford where they shared the facilities of their colleagues, West Mids Air Ambulance.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Graham Davis

[matty40s]

It's a combination of a polar vortex which has been incredibly strong this year, and not moved, resulting in forcing the jetstream to plough over the Atlantic in virtually the same route since October. This has flung low pressure after low pressure at us.

This has been exacerbated by the world in general being warmer, and warm air can absorb more moisture......and also releases it in larger quantities when the conditions are right, hence the record snowfalls in some areas, record rainfall and record flooding caused. Repeat deluges caused by orographic forcing in Wales, Peak, Lake Districts and other upland areas has resulted in what we see now. 

...and yes, this could be the new normal.

[WotEver]

They’ll probably announce a hosepipe ban next month...

[matty40s]

21 minutes ago, WotEver said:

They’ll probably announce a hosepipe ban next month...

CRT probably have last years still in place...

[Rickent]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

CRT probably have last years still in place...

Buckby locks will still be locked at 4PM. 

[magpie patrick]

@Graham Davis point about the Severn is well made - sometimes geography defeats you, and sometimes changes come back to bite you 200 years later, especially when the level of rainfall is way beyond any reasonable forecast. What has irritated me is when it was foreseeable that such rainfall would happen and resilience has still not been built in. The schemes I cite were well researched (or not) for their location, but each area needs a thorough and bespoke assessment.

 

On one scheme I'm working on now we're working on 100 year storm plus 70% for climate change. In the relatively flat flood plain where the scheme is this has the result in a flood event that a lot of the urban land and that proposed for development will have about 200mm (8 inches) of water over it. That's the kind of event where buildings could be modified or built to cope - even most vehicles will deal with water up to their axles. However in the past the response has been to build a plateau and put the development on that, which takes a lot of flood capacity out.

[roland elsdon]

Crt are developing a new waterproof water restriction sign. However they cannot agree on the logo.

[peterboat]

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

@Graham Davis point about the Severn is well made - sometimes geography defeats you, and sometimes changes come back to bite you 200 years later, especially when the level of rainfall is way beyond any reasonable forecast. What has irritated me is when it was foreseeable that such rainfall would happen and resilience has still not been built in. The schemes I cite were well researched (or not) for their location, but each area needs a thorough and bespoke assessment.

 

On one scheme I'm working on now we're working on 100 year storm plus 70% for climate change. In the relatively flat flood plain where the scheme is this has the result in a flood event that a lot of the urban land and that proposed for development will have about 200mm (8 inches) of water over it. That's the kind of event where buildings could be modified or built to cope - even most vehicles will deal with water up to their axles. However in the past the response has been to build a plateau and put the development on that, which takes a lot of flood capacity out.

The only problem is people modify houses after they buy them, drives that are two runs of paving slabs become a concrete garden and all your calculations end up in the bin!! Having looked at an estate kier built on a flood plane thats exactly what happened, including the ground floor which wasnt for occupation because of flooding was suddenly extra rooms!!

[Tom and Bex]

2 hours ago, peterboat said:

The only problem is people modify houses after they buy them, drives that are two runs of paving slabs become a concrete garden and all your calculations end up in the bin!! Having looked at an estate kier built on a flood plane thats exactly what happened, including the ground floor which wasnt for occupation because of flooding was suddenly extra rooms!!

Unfortunately there's no accounting for people's stupidity. There was a new house that was built near the River Tone in Somerset several years ago and the new occupants weren't happy with the wall at the end of their garden blocking the view of the river so decided to lower it. Unsurprisingly, the next winter the whole village flooded the worst it had since the defences were built in the 60's with many houses flooded. Surprisingly the owners moved out after that and put their flood damaged house up for sale!

[Naughty Cal]

2 hours ago, peterboat said:

The only problem is people modify houses after they buy them, drives that are two runs of paving slabs become a concrete garden and all your calculations end up in the bin!! Having looked at an estate kier built on a flood plane thats exactly what happened, including the ground floor which wasnt for occupation because of flooding was suddenly extra rooms!!

New estates SW systems are designed with an allowance for urban creep.

[cougie]

Apologies if this has already been posted - but great photos.

 

Hope the owner can get the boat back safely when this all dies down. 

 

"Photographer Matt Short spotted this narrowboat sitting half on the towpath next to Barrow Road just outside Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough . Its front end is sticking up in the air because it is balanced on what is obviously a very well-made barrier.

A member of staff at The Mooring pub nearby said: "It happened last week in the floods when the water came up really high."

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/narrowboat-ends-up-stranded-towpath-3892880#comments-section

[Naughty Cal]

BBC News - East Yorkshire flooding worsens as residents evacuated from homes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-51670574

[Graham Davis]

And the Severn is rising again.

[Athy]

On 26/02/2020 at 11:41, Naughty Cal said:

New estates SW systems are designed with an allowance for urban creep.

Doubtless a reference to council jobsworths who come and inspect them.

[cougie]

Not sure what happened here but this is in the Shropshire Union canal by bridge 131 today. Reported to the CRT. 

 

I don't think you'd be able to get past it. 

[W+T]

37 minutes ago, cougie said:

Not sure what happened here but this is in the Shropshire Union canal by bridge 131 today. Reported to the CRT. 

 

I don't think you'd be able to get past it. 

Easy to move it to make room. 

[Rickent]

On 27/02/2020 at 13:11, cougie said:

Apologies if this has already been posted - but great photos.

 

Hope the owner can get the boat back safely when this all dies down. 

 

"Photographer Matt Short spotted this narrowboat sitting half on the towpath next to Barrow Road just outside Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough . Its front end is sticking up in the air because it is balanced on what is obviously a very well-made barrier.

A member of staff at The Mooring pub nearby said: "It happened last week in the floods when the water came up really high."

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/narrowboat-ends-up-stranded-towpath-3892880#comments-section

This boat has now sunk.

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, cougie said:

Not sure what happened here but this is in the Shropshire Union canal by bridge 131 today. Reported to the CRT. 

 

I don't think you'd be able to get past it. 

You wouldnt need to, straight through would be simple.

[Rickent]

Just now, matty40s said:

You wouldnt need to, straight through would be simple.

Wouldn't take much to shove that out of the way, you wouldn't even have to be at ramming speed.

[TheBiscuits]

4 minutes ago, Rickent said:

Wouldn't take much to shove that out of the way, you wouldn't even have to be at ramming speed.

Satisfying though

 

[Rickent]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

Satisfying though

 

Absolutely.?

[MtB]

5 hours ago, cougie said:

Not sure what happened here but this is in the Shropshire Union canal by bridge 131 today. Reported to the CRT. 

 

I don't think you'd be able to get past it. 

 

That cyclist is clearly puzzled about how to get past.....

 

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

4 hours ago, Rickent said:

This boat has now sunk.

Very sad, and it will need a new TV aerial too.

 

Difficult to see what the owner could have done to avoid this stranding, the water must have been incredibly high.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Tracy D'arth
Grammatical correction

[Markinaboat]

On 16/02/2020 at 09:10, mrsmelly said:

Ooh yes. The bar is outside but we drink in the pig sty. Very cosy but not open to Joe public except Sat Sunday lunch at present. I do have the keys to the well stocked shop off licence which does help ?

Is the bar open now, we're nearby?

[mrsmelly]

4 hours ago, Markinaboat said:

Is the bar open now, we're nearby?

Just left. Sorry but we r around for a couple of days if u r not far away over next couple of days?