Rain and floods

[greenishfing]

I've just been watching the local Yorkshire news and seeing how many of the local rivers are causing floods. I felt so sorry for the local residents, some of whom have now faced their businesses flooding several times. I was listening to the reporter talking about flood defences but why don't they just make the rivers deeper so that they can carry more volume of water without flooding?
I'm sure that I am oversimplifying things but why not???

[veggiechicken]

You'd need to deepen the river for its entire length,otherwise you'd end up with deeper pools that would hold the water until they overflowed.
Building up the banks is one answer or widening the river at the pinch points perhaps?

[Chestnut]

I can see the logic, but the practicalities could be prohibitive...

[burnie]

The water table dictates the height, deeper river would make no difference, never mind the carnage done to the environment. What we really need to do is stop building on flood plains, this flooding will become worse and more frequent as climate change lifts the sea levels.

[SarrissUK]

And we need to plant more trees wherever we can - they hold so much water, that if we planted trees where you're prone to surface water flooding, that'd really help avoiding the worst of it.

I'm going to Nottingham on Saturday for uni, and I'm really worried about flooding

[greenishfing]

The water table dictates the height, deeper river would make no difference, never mind the carnage done to the environment. What we really need to do is stop building on flood plains, this flooding will become worse and more frequent as climate change lifts the sea levels.

I agree we need to stop building on flood plains but why on earth would people buy a house built on a flood plain.

[veggiechicken]

Search your location for flood risk at https://flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/
There are similar sites for Wales and Scotland.

[broadway]

I can't comment on the fix but just wanted to add we live about 10 metres from the River Ryton which burst its bank yesterday. I have to be honest and say having moved here just over a year ago from London I've never seen so much water flowing down streets, lanes, and into gardens

I have to say my 10-12 bags of wood chippings came in very useful as make-shift sand bags. Lots of bailing last night, both our house and neighbours. A few houses took water damage but we were one on the lucky ones.

I got about 3 hours sleep last night and was back out bailing at 5am this morning, another 2 hours sleep around 12ish when things were under control.

The main reason for replying to this thread was to say how overwhelmed I was by the neighbours help, concerns for others, and community spirit, I feel very privileged to live in the village of Shireoaks

[veggiechicken]

Fingers crossed for you, Danny, and everyone else who may be affected by the rising water levels. x

[SarrissUK]

Blimey, that sounds scary Danny

[broadway]

Blimey, that sounds scary Danny

Hi Sarriss

Not so much scary but for a period of time helplessness!

And poor Stella (avatar) couldn't get out to do her business until about 10am today once we cleared the water from the yard:-(

[veggiechicken]

Poor Stella! Bet she was walking round with her legs crossed.

[broadway]

Poor Stella! Bet she was walking round with her legs crossed.

She was VG

Bless she had a urine infection on Monday and is 15, still my baby though:-)

[lolie]

I agree we need to stop building on flood plains but why on earth would people buy a house built on a flood plain.

Do people even realise they are flood plains?

We had some bad floods here a few years ago when one of our capital cities got hit by "1 in 100 year" floods and the reality is that it's easy to dismiss a risk that's 1 in 100, or even 1 in 25. And people have dismissed those risks - populations have been increasing in those areas for decades.

Mind you, half of my state is on fire at the moment so I'm not sure it's actually possible here to live somewhere there's no risk of natural disaster.

[Scarlet]

I agree we need to stop building on flood plains but why on earth would people buy a house built on a flood plain.

Because they haven't got an option? Government policy is to build more houses. Our area have to supply several thousand homes
as the population is increasing rapidly.
The planners tell them the drainage has been sorted. There was planning in for a few hundred homes on the fields behind my house - they are flood planes - also 260 homes on the field the other side of the road which can also be prone to flooding.
The 260 went through and increased to 280 homes - they built a balancing pond to stop the flooding. It holds the excess water and then releases it slowly. In some areas they build balancing lakes.
Thankfully the land around me was spared but we were all very worried. An 84 year old lady on her own had been flooded a couple of times in one year. Once on Christmas Eve- it takes months to get back in. Not sure why but my house has never had any water in.