Flooding

[RamNut]

David Cameron has put his fleece on.

it must be serious.

 

[ladyram]

Somebody help me out understanding this please.

Why can't his government halt overseas aid payments and give however much of it is needed to get these people back in a dry home and sort out the clearly useless flood defences? 

The scale of this flooding is massive, the River Ouse in part is now a mile wide, and he will Chair his Cobra meeting and send the army, when realistically far, far more is needed. 

It's pathetic, really it is. I hope the residents ask him this question when he visits them and gives them words of sympathy. This needs more than sympathy though Cameron, it needs action.

[eddie]

The best flood defence of all is to fully understand the meaning of the phrase 'flood plain' - and to take the appropriate action (i.e. not to build flipping houses on them)

[ladyram]

There's that, and to fully understand and prepare for this extreme weather which is becoming more frequent.

[eddie]

Here's an interesting story from a few years ago.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12402284

"The government will spend £540m a year on flooding defences in England over the next four years - a cut of 8% from previous periods, the environment department has confirmed.

The money will go towards 108 projects already under construction and 187 schemes under consideration.

But projects in Leeds, York, Thirsk and Morpeth have been put on hold."

 

[eddie]

Another gem from that article I highlighted...

The Lib Dem MP for Leeds North West, Greg Mulholland, and the Labour MP for Leeds East, George Mudie, both criticised the decision to shelve flood defence work in the city.

Mr Mudie said: "Leeds city centre came within centimetres of flooding in 2000 and had numerous near misses. This is the largest city in the north and it cannot be allowed to be knocked out by flooding."

In other words, this Tory government knew that there was a problem with the flood defences for Leeds city centre, and chose to ignore it.

[ketteringram]

24 minutes ago, eddie said:

The best flood defence of all is to fully understand the meaning of the phrase 'flood plain' - and to take the appropriate action (i.e. not to build flipping houses on them)

 

[mozza]

a bit more of this helps ..

 

 

or this ..

[Gritstone Ram]

Having houses in flood plains is the main problem. Then increasing impermeable areas like block paving drives doesn't help. Dredging and cleaning the drains will help maintain what we have got but eventually once the rivers are full to capacity they will flood. The flood risk maps are on the EA web site the can be quite useful when buying a house. They also show surface water run off. To put it in a nutshell don't buy a house at the bottom of a hill.

[Gritstone Ram]

53 minutes ago, ladyram said:

There's that, and to fully understand and prepare for this extreme weather which is becoming more frequent.

The problem is there is only so much money to spend. Where do you spend it? I would assume the EA will have a risk management type approach. I think if you spoke to the EA involved in this type of work they would like to solve the whole situation but do you spend 10s of millions of pounds to protect say 20 houses at risk of flooding in a 1 in 50 year event or spend the millions protecting say 10 houses at risk in a 1 in 25 year event? By the way we could have these 1 in 100 year events every year. As for foreign aid god knows it's government policy and has been for years. The only party that would change it is UKIP.

[RicME85]

Its mental that such big cities as Leeds and Manchester have flooded to this extent.

Should also start using that new tarmac that came out this year that soaks up water at a ridiculous rate.

 

[Shuff264]

You can build houses on flood plains if you prepare properly, the entire of the Netherlands is one big flood plain and they manage without flooding.

[Zag zig]

1 hour ago, eddie said:

In other words, this Tory government knew that there was a problem with the flood defences for Leeds city centre, and chose to ignore it.

When was the last Tory M.P in Leeds? I've not looked but wondering if there lies your answer. All politicians of ALL parties, will only ever look after their own interests ie what affects them or makes them look good/bad.

[Zag zig]

1 hour ago, ketteringram said:

 

That reminds of the photo a few years back of the JCB with water almost  up to the top of its wheels at Willington, when Henry Boot choose to ignore the locals. Think the B.M or D.E.T showed it.

1 hour ago, eddie said:

The best flood defence of all is to fully understand the meaning of the phrase 'flood plain' - and to take the appropriate action (i.e. not to build flipping houses on them)

That was the argument on the above, but I guess money talks.

41 minutes ago, Shuff264 said:

You can build houses on flood plains if you prepare properly, the entire of the Netherlands is one big flood plain and they manage without flooding.

I'd love to understand how that would have worked in the example I state, presumably it would cost developers money building barriers? In which case I suspect a fair few projects wouldn't get done anyway?

[Wolfie20]

10 hours ago, RicME85 said:

Its mental that such big cities as Leeds and Manchester have flooded to this extent.

Should also start using that new tarmac that came out this year that soaks up water at a ridiculous rate.

 

It's easy to design permeable concrete and asphalt - but they both need to have huge underground reservoirs to hold water which can then be released in a controlled manner. During long periods of torrential rain, once these reservoirs are full, you have the same outcome we have now.

The point of refusing all future planning applications for new build on flood plains is a valid one but so many have been granted in the last 30-40 years that a huge number of properties will be at risk for many, many years. Some of the really old, terraced houses built in the early and mid 20th century are in narrow, steep sided valleys and are particularly susceptible to flash floods which can be lethal to human and animal life.

[Wolfie20]

10 hours ago, Shuff264 said:

You can build houses on flood plains if you prepare properly, the entire of the Netherlands is one big flood plain and they manage without flooding.

I was always led to believe that the flood defences in the Netherlands were to protect against high tides from the North Sea rather than rainfall? They (and Belgium) have a huge network of canals which are better able to carry surplus water far more effectively than rivers.

[StringerBell]

7 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

I was always led to believe that the flood defences in the Netherlands were to protect against high tides from the North Sea rather than rainfall? They (and Belgium) have a huge network of canals which are better able to carry surplus water far more effectively than rivers.

And protect them from the Germans.

[Wolfie20]

5 minutes ago, StringerBell said:

And protect them from the Germans.

Apart from the CBs' because they never existed

[StringerBell]

24 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

Apart from the CBs' because they never existed

Ye of little faith. One day we will sign a German CB and he will instantly become a club legend.

[LesterRam]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35196493

not saying more money, time and speed was spent on the floods in Indonesia but this has become a national tragedy, isn't it about time this government help these poor sods.