These disasters that are bound to happen, but only in extreme cases in the future, are the here and now. So I wonder, when will London gets it’s long-awaited flood, and are you Londoners ready for it?

I’d say the ones at Highgate Hill are ready and waiting for everything a flood can throw at them.

I’d say the ones at Highgate Hill

Hiya!

All set, thanks. Don’t mind a few days off work if it comes to that.

bit of white water kayaking down swains lane sounds quite entertaining 🙂

Yes you may be flippant about it now but have you considered what a London flooding would mean?

No idea but be assured when it does even if it’s just a few puddles we here about it every few minutes.

flippant

… in a flood? Oooh the ironing!

Don’t think New York has The Thames Barrier….
Just found an environment agency pdf that says the barrier has been used 119 times as of Oct 2011 to protect London from flooding…

Admittedly, Canvey would be screwed, but London would be ok…

(tongue in cheek & may not be 100% accurate)…

London is not a coastal city,

Sure it has a tidal river but it’s not in the same league as NY or NO for expose to the sea/ocean

Some of London most deprived areas would be hit hardest by any storm surge.

Due to rising sea levels and isostatic rebound the Thames barrier will be ineffective from about 2020 onward…

Google Thames Barrier Project Pack 2012 & have a look at the pdf. Interesting reading & well future proofed from the sound of it.
There’s a chronological record at the bottom of the document detailing when it has been used, giving quite a lot of detail.

isostatic rebound

Is that a recovery drink for suspension forks?

[sorry I’ll go now]

http://www.floodlondon.com/

Ohnohesback – they accounted for an annual 8mm of sea level rise & are seeing more like 4mm so it is going to protect for longer than it was designed for. There is also talk in the document about the isostatic rebound you mention…

Oh, and they are currently looking into a range of modifications that will keep it operational until 2070…

I can’t find it now, but a few years ago I read a press report about the Environment Agency deciding that the Thames Barrier was perfectly good for the time being and that they had no plans for an upgrade of the existing barrier or the construction of a second barrier. Hopefully they’ve woken up now… Remember that sea storm surge flooding is only one way that London can flood, another way is a swollen inland Thames surge entering the city at the same time as a sea storm surge risk forces the closure of the Thames Barrier. I wonder where the water would go then?

Yes you may be flippant about it now but have you considered what a London flooding would mean?

Yes, thanks, I work in property and business interruption insurance in the city, so I’ve done quite a lot of reading and given it quite a bit of thought. Been a little involved in TFL’s insurance, so I know what storm surge over/round the Thames Barrier would mean for the underground (royally screwed, obviously)

We might not be coastal, but spring tides combined with southerly /souttheasterly winds in the north sea would have good slices of northern Europe: Germany, Belguim, Netherlands similarly screwed. Edit: as above: exacerbated by preceding heavy rains swelling rivers.

The one doomsday scenario that particularly grabbed my eye was the essex oil refinery storage tanks being split and lakes of fire being swept into Central London. Not entirely implausible.

You say doomsday scenario, I say thrilling second act of a disaster movie.

And even then London estate agents would still be asking unrealistic prices for property. “Scope for improvement”…

If thats the case nedrapier sounds like ohnohesback would be happy 🙄

Apologies if that not the case ONHB

(but to me, the tone of your OP and andsubsequent posts sounds like you can’t wait for it to happen ??… more than happy for you to tell me I’m wrong and an idiot)

I have a morbid intrest in all things doom, but I’ve got freinds who live in London, one in Westminster, near to the river. So on balance this is a dread thread and a wake-up call to some of you.

OK …. and sorry not trying to get on your case but

“wake-up call to some of you”

What does that mean?

What would you like the “some of you” to do ?

That’s very good of you to give us a wake up call. What do we do now? Personally, it’s only my list of things that might happen, probably won’t and I can’t control anyway, so not worth spending too much time worrying about. Other than professionally, of course.

Well don’t come swimming to me for help then!

How is it a wake up call…? Disasters happen. You can only do so much to reduce/mitigate the risk.
Then just get on with living. Generally, people do quite well at muddling through these events and pulling together.

The volcano under Yellowstone could go up in a week or so & wipe out most life on Earth. Hey ho.

While I can understand your morbid fascination of natural disasters, you are coming across as someone who would point and laugh at people in times of need, probably shouting ‘I told you so’, rather than offering a helping hand.

stumpy, indeed.

ohno, thanks for the note. I shall cross you off my list of internet strangers who might be willing to help me in the event of London flooding.

The South East Coast had a pretty near miss in 2007

Some of London most deprived areas would be hit hardest by any storm surge.

I’m surprised the Tories haven’t been trying to arrange some major storm surges then, as this will fit nicely into their ‘*** the poor’ strategy.

That’s very good of you to give us a wake up call. What do we do now?

Thanks for that! Phew that was a close shave, there I was just about to sell up and move to a low lying area of London! Will stay where I am now…..

So on balance this is a dread thread and

dread=doom
dread=dead
?