Floods

[Johnny Appleseed]

Heart goes out to all those affected by the floods. They are so widespread, but people all over are responding brilliantly. Been following it on Facebook and twitter: community centres, churches, mosques all opening their doors to shelter and feed people, and lots of donations of food and blankets coming in.

If you're in one of the areas affected, stay safe and I'm sure everyone in the NMA world is thinking of you.

Johnny

[Pol]

Ditto to what Johnny said, think we're in for a lot more of this in future

[Shush]

Indeed. Some shocking images on the news. I think you are right Pol, this is going to become an annual event. Best wishes to all effected.

[Master Ray]

Saw a newspaper photo of how someone's living room had five feet of water in it... 

Still, Cameron cut £116 million from flood defences, that'll have NOTHING to do with it...

[Danny]

Saw a newspaper photo of how someone's living room had five feet of water in it... 

Still, Cameron cut £116 million from flood defences, that'll have NOTHING to do with it...

and meanwhile in London there are a ridiculous 13 degrees, in New York an even more ridiculous 20, in Northern Italy, France or Germany it barely goes below 5 or 6 (which is still 5 or 6 too many for this time of the year)... but of course climate change isn't real, it's just something tree huggers made up... as long as they're fine in Henley on Thames and Chipping Norton for their ritual yearly slaughter of foxes who cares about the rest of the world?

[Master Ray]

Agreed, Danny... had family in the US and what they told us about, compared to what we had, was just mind-blowing...

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Terrible to see the scenes again. Unfortunately as noted by others climate change is occurring and we really have to start expecting a greater frequency of significant weather events as a result.

Much is being made in the media about who spent what and who cut where but the important thing is how the money is spent. Destruction of upland vegetation, river straightening, containment, diversion, dredging...... historical and current management techniques all of which change hydrology and the way water behaves during  times of stress.  Take the destruction of upland vegetation for example. Woods, scrub etc in around the upper tract of a river soak up an awful lot of water and that water doesn't get to go downstream and cause floods i (useful that  ). Trouble is in order to claim grants upland farmers have to get rid of non productive vegetation and so they are basically paid to cut down the trees that help to reduce flooding. It's good innit  .

George Monbiot talks a lot of sense about this stuff and I read that Jason Manford had been banging on about it today
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/07/hide-evidence-storm-desmond-floods-paris-talks

[Rusco]

We've had a flood occurring here twice. I've notified it's a risk in the area our house resides in. The floods that there were caused problems in surrounding areas in the city too. There's a small river - or smaller than river but don't know the name for it - where the strength of the flood was so huge that it raised for one meter and you know what... The water run down the road to where we live. That was 4 years ago.

I hate it when it's flooding. But it's a risk that should be taken seriously in a case it happens again. And for sure it will happen. There are always times in the future when you might need a powerful water pump in a case of emergency.

Loose work doesn't fit together with a good drainage and construction.