[Closed] Flooding

That looks grim, stay safe people. Do not underestimate the power of floodwater!

The Mrs has just reminded me - the Waterside was where we went for our first date (20ish years ago).

Bridge St in Ramsbottom still closed off an hour ago.

North Wales/Snowdonia getting battered too. Been up since 4 dealing with water from the Ogwen river. Even talk of the nearby bridge collapsing through built up water pressure. Distressing day, but thankfully no water in the house. Some good people around though who helped out with buckets and time. Lots of voyeurs too 😕

Hopefully we've seen the worst of it.

Heart goes out to all affected.

anglesey appears to be cut off, a55 and a 5 blocked also the road from lanwrst blocked and coast railway below level of the flooding so probably no north wales trains tommorrow.

Rusty - according to the police, the bridge has been inspected by structural engineers this afternoon, and it's still closed because with the water still coming down, they're not expecting it to there by the morning. With the bridge at Summerseat already gone, and smaller footbridges gone, looks like it's about to get interesting trying to get around.

Hey ho though. At least there's been no fatalities. Which given the force of the water that's ripped down the valley, is incredible

Terrible news 🙁

I was in Preston earlier, sat on the service area car park next to river ribble and was amazed at the speed of the water. Debris like full trees, tyres etc were being carried downstream and I'm sure the white object I couldn't quite make out was a drowned sheep 🙁

Went to the other side of Preston and could walk along the side of the ribble, lean over a small wall and touch the water 😯 and its raining again here.

Rusty/binners, which bridge are you referring to? Hopefully not the one over the Ogwen in Bethesda that takes you to Tregarth?

Edit: sorry got the wrong end of the stick there...reading the thread to quickly. ..

Sowerby bridge level, same in most other places in Calderdale.

[URL= http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp187/rcatkin/random/868DC877-D0D4-43C3-BB96-DD9FEB4DFD0F_zps7czyycgl.pn g" target="_blank">http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp187/rcatkin/random/868DC877-D0D4-43C3-BB96-DD9FEB4DFD0F_zps7czyycgl.pn g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Top black line is previous max level ever recorded.

@dalesjo, the Ogwen bridge is closed. Water came through parts it shouldn't of.

I wish the press would stop showing people wading through flood water. Spectacularly manky stuff, just a few inches travelling fast can knock you over too, and never to be seen again. I'm sure they can find other thins to use as perspective.

Photos from wandering around Hebden today, including Brant checking his back passage:

[url= https://flic.kr/s/aHskrz9bka ]https://flic.kr/s/aHskrz9bka[/url]

[[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1652/23620635299_b19f3a79c2_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1652/23620635299_b19f3a79c2_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/BZgVWK ]IMGP0802[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/13995637@N08/ ]Greg.May[/url], on Flickr

robdob It's not very bright is it especially when it normally blows drain and manhole covers and washes all sort of crap into it's path that can not be seen. And as you say it doesn't need the water to be deep to knock you of your feet.

Jeez, the conditions up North are staggering, just unbelievable amounts of water falling. Down here in the South-west it seems like it's been wet continually, but the reality is that is just been damp; I was walking over to Silbury Hill this afternoon alongside the Winterbourne, a chalk stream that, as its name implies, is dry in the summer and born again in the winter, but it's as dry as a bone right now, only one small puddle under a footbridge, which just shows the stark contrast between the South-west and North-west.
I've given a donation to the Daily Mail flood appeal, a small thing, but it's all I can really do.
I hope the million or so pounds so far raised quickly gets to those poor souls who are really suffering; it would be nice if the government were to take some of the extravagant amounts in the foreign aid budget and put it in with the flood fund.
Just thought, a close friend of mine will be traveling up to Coniston from Bath, via Bristol, Manchester and Windermere by train tomorrow; anyone got any idea how rail travel is affected from Manchester? I believe she gets a taxi from Windermere to Coniston.

Erm, shipping containers in the local river today 😯

Baildon almost shut off tonight...

Rain in the lakes today has been pretty bad. Seems like others have had it worse though. Given how it was today I can't only imagine what it was like a few weeks ago. Never seen so many massive pumps and sandbags.

Not so bad for us as we're up in Edenfield but gutted about the industrial heritage being destroyed with some of the bridges and buildings being lost - they'll never be replaced like for like.

Just hope people are keeping safe.

Just thought, a close friend of mine will be traveling up to Coniston from Bath, via Bristol, Manchester and Windermere by train tomorrow; anyone got any idea how rail travel is affected from Manchester? I believe she gets a taxi from Windermere to Coniston

major closure between crewe and stafford trains diverted while they rebuild the track also some early morning trains want run as proving trains have to go out in daylight to check track at low speeds,also sunday service so even less trains will run

I might be being daft, but where can you see predicted river details for 6am tomorrow morning? Mrs FD needs to get from Baildon to work in Wakefield and that could prove very difficult at the moment.

Ta

There's a video of a transit drifting down the canal at Elland earlier today doing the rounds. We moved into new house 2 weeks ago... Never been flooded. Got away with it this aft... Water was a foot off the top of the flood banks at Copley, after which we'd have been swimming in the kitchen.

Scary stuff, glad you're OK.

Unclear if my folks will be able to drive back from Cardiff to Ludlow, will be watching the road updates tomorrow.

It's been insane here today. Going to go for a wander in a min to check up on how things are although there's bugger all we can do about it. Will break out the board and wetsuit tomorrow and see if I can on the news

At times like these the value of our communities wins out. My 85 yo mum spent the morning in her upstairs neighbours flat, her landlord and some other folk helped to sift through her flat to get some dry personal belongings, medications etc., the Search and Rescue Team (my team until I stood down this year) evacuated her to her landlords car, they took her to their house, looked after her - and washed her clean of manky floodwater - until i got back up from London. No end of offers of help from friends and acquaintances, and even people we don't know. We do likewise for others, mutual support builds communities. I hope everyone else who's affected has a similar experience: we're so grateful to everyone who has offered even just sympathy.

I've never know Sowerby Bridge to flood, went to a mate's house last night and woke up to find the bridge closed with no way through to Triangle. Went through all possible route variations but they all involved crossing a river, eventually got my mate to take me up over the tops and drop me down into Ripponden minus the bike as it wouldn't fit in the car. I can't even begin to imagine how the people in flooded houses feel!

My LBS is Blazing Saddles in Hebden, they'll be under water. My print guy lives next to the canal in S.B. It's Gutting 🙁

Worked on the industrial/housing project at Copley for 4 months this year. It was a crazy idea to bring thousands of tonnes of 6f2 onto what was previously a contaminated flood plain to raise the whole area and pass the problem further on down the Calder Valley.

Made some developers a fortune and got some councillors some nice kickbacks. Nobody will ever be held to account. All they'll have to say is there was a shortage of housing in the area. We put a small concession in by building a few settlement/catchment ponds to re home some frogs and direct groundwater off parts of the site, down to the river. Pay lip service to environmental factors and you'll get permission granted if there's enough money involved in the project.

Parts of our village north east of York (strensall) has flooded. Looking on the news Calderdale looks horrendous. Hope everyone is doing ok. Know a nice b&b on the canal side in Hebden bridge that will be totally thrashed by now.

[url= https://jenny4mp.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/how-come-calderdale-council-thinks-its-ok-to-build-149-new-homes-on-copley-valley-floodplain/ ]objections to building on copley valley floodplain[/url]

I guess they'll be a few local councillors not looking forward to meeting with local residents after this weekend

Those same councillors who are asking on Twitter at the moment for people to give generously to the flood appeal.

Shame they won't be asking GenR8.

I'm working on a similarly crazy project to build the Leeds-Bradford cycle superhighway with £29m European funding. Our stretch runs down Barkerend Road where things like this are a regular occurrence

I must see 6/7 cyclists a week, it could be a case of build it and they will come but you couldn't pay enough for me to ride a bike around there.

The people making these decisions need a good shake.

Who would have ever guessed that a developer called GenR8 would be a bit dodgy?!

A quick Google shows many local objections to the development at Copley, including [url= http://www.energyroyd.org.uk/archives/13080 ]this local blog highlighting issues[/url], including £6m of public money paid to GenR8 to cover site clearance, decontamination works, site investigation works and highway/junction improvement works that have been undertaken on site.

So?, new local councillors elections in the coming future perhaps?

Just heard my grandads house is flooded, he lives just off Halifax road, can't get hold of my dad but he's usually fine, thinking of leaving the family at the inlaws and trying to head over to Tod to help out but not convinced I'll get there.

Hope everyone is ok Podge. Water levels have dropped overnight but it's still a mess. There have been lot of damage to the roads, so I think you'd struggle. I definitely wouldn't attempt it with the family in the car

Apparently everyone is using the WAZE app for the most up to date info on which roads are open. Good luck!

How's things this morning over at Hebden, I've got to get back home today up to Helptonstall

Hope everyone's managed to keep dry and warm!

Roads are open in Hebden. Heading down to the town to give a hand clean up now. Will be over near Drink? then Blazing after.

[quote=nickc said]How's things this morning over at Hebden

Not too bad, bit tricky using t'interwebs though.

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Cool, I'll get back and come and help with the clear up

allthepies -Not too bad, bit tricky using t'interwebs though.

Funny.

How about you go say that to the people who now have no homes or businesses.

nickc - Member
Cool, I'll get back and come and help with the clear up

It's looking like power should be going back on for 12 - food and clothes drop is up by the big Boots near Market Square - pretty sure anything would be appreciated.

Thanks for the concern. My grandad is up at my mum's and my uncle has checked in on the house so I know they are all fine. My dad never answers the phone so I'm less worried that I've not got hold of him, he's probably chasing ducks round the cellar.

I've downloaded waze, Thanks for the heads up on that. I've got all this week off so once I'm happy getting into the town I think I'll stay and help with everyone else

@billy when I posted about the potential impact of developments on the prior Kewick flooding thread I was ridiculed by the usual suspects. Down Soith we have numerous examples of resdiential development which have lead to flooding issues.

Best of luck to those affected

Their strongest argument was to provide housing. I live the other side of the hill and there's so many houses for sale in this village. Rush hour where they will eventually build, probably after a pause in order to secure extra funding, is ridiculous as it is. None of the housing will be anywhere near entry level because of the costs.

Not one aspect of it makes sense. It starts when some powerful developer puts an idea forward, makes some influential friends and gains that much funding it becomes unstoppable no matter how many thousands of proles object.

Just been down to Saltaire and bottom of Baildon with my son. The water has already dropped about 1.5m from high point 😯

Lots of business's completely flooded, one big retailer has apparently had a wall ripped down and now all stock gone down to Leeds 🙁

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In work trying to sort out the electricity system.

The contingencies are doing ok so far - fair number still off, but most back on.

Working on the rest and keeping an eye on York now.

Managed to drive in to Tod from the burnley side without any issues, gravel and mud all over the roads but otherwise it's fine. All family present and correct, damage to property is minimal, we've got off well considering what others have had to deal with, thanks for all the help, much appreciated.

Good news

Just come back from a road ride around Rufford and Croston. Croston is under 3ft of water again !!

They have only just finished the £4Million flood defences there, and they obviously were not enough. I feel so sorry for the folk, Christmas tress in the street and mopping up all over the village.

Rufford is the same, the river Douglas has burst it's banks

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/23377952213_1385baba85_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1469/23377952213_1385baba85_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/BBQ7HB ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

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[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1641/23709054850_eb7ede245b_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1641/23709054850_eb7ede245b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/C866ZL ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

I'm in West Lancs,I went out on the Cheshire Lines earlier today.
This is AFTER the floods receded.
I remember when this was all fields..
[URL= http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu38/MarkF-XT/P1010964-SPESH-FLOOD.jp g" target="_blank">http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu38/MarkF-XT/P1010964-SPESH-FLOOD.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Nice day for a paddle..
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Spent the last 7 hours helping dig out Blazing Saddles in Hebden with Brant, Ed, Hannah and many many other cyclists from the local area who's names I don't even know.

Support your local shops - bikes or whatever - they are going to need you more than ever or you won't have them any more.

Before and after York centre. Been told to work from home next week.

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Gregmay, came home to find myself awash, not much really just water off the hillside, so spent the afternoon sorting myself out. when I drove Heb, it looked like a watery bomb had gone off.

I'll get down tomorrow and lend a hand

Sorry in advance.

Can someone explain where the water goes. Is it supposed to just flow to the sea or soak into the ground

Thank you.

[img] [/img]

Mostly downstream.

[img] ?oh=f20ad9279ef141fc5be685547b1cc98d&oe=56830A52[/img]

A59 Whalley Arches

from my faceybook feed

This is why you dont build on flood plains

Had a trundle out and about today.
Irwell Vale is devastated, everyones possessions piled on the gardens and some seriously glum faces, didnt take any pics as it felt too voyeuristic. Gutted for everyone down there.

Things were as bad in Strongstry and the bridge is down - see how long this takes to be replaced (if ever?)
[url= http://s13.postimg.org/4d2m7yx3r/WP_20151227_14_16_35_Pro.jp g" target="_blank">http://s13.postimg.org/4d2m7yx3r/WP_20151227_14_16_35_Pro.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Ramsbottom is looking okay and the main bridge survived and is open. Nuttall Park is a mess - and the Cormar 'tunnel' route is interesting at the moment!

I bet the Waterside wishes it was this popular when it was open! - packed with people having a nosey.
[url= http://s13.postimg.org/nflzuw847/WP_20151227_15_31_40_Pro.jp g" target="_blank">http://s13.postimg.org/nflzuw847/WP_20151227_15_31_40_Pro.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

The power of water - this is a fair sized lump of stone from presumably the Waterside a fair distance downstream.
[url= http://s13.postimg.org/ngvxob9xz/WP_20151227_15_35_31_Pro.jp g" target="_blank">http://s13.postimg.org/ngvxob9xz/WP_20151227_15_35_31_Pro.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

I'm a bit confused by conflicting reports saying it's both unprecedented and the worst in 70 years. Can't be both.

Having worked in I surance claims, I know how awful it is for both home owners and businesses. Dirty, horrible stinking mess left behind that ruins peoples lives for months.

Currently trying to persuade MrsMC to divert holiday plans from France to somewhere here that needs our money more.

I'm surprised nobody has blamed gay marriage yet...

On a more serious note, Mr Mule Senior was (now retired) an architect, and sat on the planning advisory panel for the local council for several years until he got fed up with spending pretty much every meeting saying "Why in the name of * do you persist in building on floodplains you bungle*s"

(I may have paraphrased... but not by much)

Nickc - Water/mud bomb is very much a good way to describe Hebden. And now it's raining again. Awesome.

Lots of folk out helping in Hebden today but the place is devastated. Quite a few businesses won't be reopening at all I don't think. Very sad.

Gonna go back out tomorrow and see what we can do.

that's properly shit, I'll be down tomorrow to help out where I can

Project, thanks for the info, I'll pass that on to her, it might be that the YH in Coniston* will get in touch with her anyway, but too much info is better than not enough when it's a seven hour journey involved.
*She's just got a new job as relief manager, having been staff at the YH in Conwy for the last couple of years, so not wanting to get off to a bad start by being late back, but current circumstances may dictate otherwise.

I'm a bit confused by conflicting reports saying it's both unprecedented and the worst in 70 years. Can't be both

Grum + Nickc - I'll be down again tomorrow, happy to feed you lot curry after if you're coming past. I'll also be getting out for a brief ride as I need to get my head round all this and see how flipped the trails are.

This is a terrible situation.
I'm from Mytholmroyd and still have family there so dropped down today to help out.
Russell Dean's furniture store looks like a riot has taken place inside, with the front windows blown out.
On the other side, the rear wall of whitesans travel has washed into the river.
My niece lives up Craig road and had water up to he mantel piece and my dad's mill in Mytholmroyd was under around 6 foot of water. I went in with him today to try and pre-empt what the Insurane assessor may say tomorrow but on the assumption that electronic weaving machines were fully submerged for around 12 hours, looks like a write off.
Gutted.

Just heard that the 200 year old bridge to st Stephens church in Copley has gone.

Flip.

Be intresting to see where all the tradesmen come from to repair all the damage and whos going to pay us, seems as if many where not insured, and if they where insurance companies will most probably squirm out of paying to much out.

Ffs, this is what insurance is for. I led our in house response team at the Perth floods in the 90s we literally went up with cheque books and wrote cheques on the spot for people based on what we could see they needed in the short term.

If people aren't insured, that is a separate issue.

Talked to two shop owners in Hebden who were not insured. They could not get insurance again after the floods in 2012. Home owner living beside my friend has a £10,000 excess on their property, again, from floods in 2012.

If people [s]aren't[/s]CANT AFFORD TO BE insured, that is a separate issue.

Lots happened since the 1990,s to make insurance un affordable or not available

Premiums and excesses reflect the risk you present sadly. Shopping around specialist underwriters might help, but ultimately, that's how it works.

Big problem is that post war work reduced recent incidents of flooding in places where it is now happening again, and people have been badly stung buying houses in places that hadn't flooded for years.

Not trying to diminish the horror of it or the financial implications. But the house I was brought up in had a permanent tide mark from the 1953 floods, friends had grandparents in Yalding who lived up stairs in the winter, Matlock has flood markers on one of the bridges from floods that were several feet deep and easily within living memory.

It has sadly always happened and always will.

[url= http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/flooding-cause-government-would-keep-10580092 ]flood[/url]

thanks for the responce More cash, any idea over whats like to happen to thgose in york who where deliberately flooded by the EA after flood gates where opened.

What Philip Walling fails to mention is a lot of farmers have also benefited from the European Water Framework Directive in that they get new cattle drinkers, fencing and bank repairs. And the Environment Agency still do dredging just not on the scale of it did 25 years ago and the conservationist put a halt on a lot of dredging and bushing works. And also not all of the dredging has to be carted away some of it is placed to help build up banks and low spots.

Presumably the EA have tough choices to make sometimes? Not my area of expertise but I seem to recall that the last time the Derwent flooded through Matlock, Belper and Derby 5-6 years ago it was because they had had to release the waters at the Derwent reservoirs as they were dangerously high.

Dredging is an interesting point in that article. There are arguments for and against, but I know that where we lived on the edge of the Fens the river that left the tidemark in 53 was fine when it was dreged when I was a kid, but after they stopped dredging it peaked higher and higher, causing my parents to move, and within a couple of years of them moving they had the first flood alert for 30 years. Dredging may or may not have been a factor.

They used to pile the dredged material to build up flood banks iirc

I'm fairly sure tod used to flood more than hebden when I was a kid and remember at least twice as a kid wading through the town in my wellies.

I can only assume that some of the work reduce tod flooding has passed the water further down the valley as hebden always seems worse these days.

Sea levels are rising. Should we dredge the sea?

If It helps anyone out, At work we have 4 x 100mtr rolls of lay flat blue water hose. We also have a box of joiners and the jubilee clips to with them.
We paid around £500 for these and never used them.
I am pretty sure I can sell thm to anyone who needs them for alot less than that . You will need to source a pump of some sort , but 400m of pipe will move water well away from any flooded cellars etc.
As its Xmas / Bank holidy shipping will be a problem but I can prob get them away Tuesday on an overnight.
If I said all 4 rolls for 1/2 price £250 = £62.50 a roll, delivered, thats cheaper than fleabay.
Pm me if your desperate and include a phone no. and I will see what I can do . Can probably sell each roll individualy if that helps anyone out.
Not trying to profit from anyones misfortune , we have them , people need them . I will be fired if I agree to give them away , and am taking some risk in selling them for half what we paid without a nod from a director. But if they kick off I can cover the diffrence.

Glad to live down south , but have had the sea lapping at my front door and the wheely bins swimming laps of the car park so have had flooding experience

Has more monbiot not been predicting this for years?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

[url= http://https://flic.kr/p/BCu3RH ]flooding[/url]

The only way one of our relatives could get insurance was to pay an extra 8 or 10 grand when they did repairs after floods in '08 or '09.
House is basically waterproofed and tiled up to 4 foot from the floor. Only electric cable less than 5 foot from the floor is the main supply and consumer unit (that is actually semi-sealed), the replacement ring main is now in the ceiling with spurs coming down to the high level sockets.
Sump and pump under the stairs, massive auxiliary pump ready to go in the garage.
Metre high flood wall in the middle of the garden. Wall at the river bank is now nearly a metre thick and a 30-40 cm higher than it used to be, and they have a flood barrier to the road (water comes in both ways, river and road).

Benefits include that the last three or four floods have needed no more than a couple of hours with a hose, mop and bucket and some help from the neighbours to get the furniture back down stairs.
That includes 50 cm of water sloshing round the house last winter. They were only out of the house for one night.

Insurance is now affordable. But only covers the structure........ (this is not far from Harrogate)