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https://twitter.com/ShirebrookFire/status/1157135722307977216?s=19
They had a Chinook up there last night bringing in ballast.
They are currently dropping bags of aggregate into the 'hole' via a Chinook - it's a ruddy big hole looking at some of the pictures on line with the bags already in there.
Been watching the Chinook on the local news this morning. What skill those pilots have dropping the gravel bags down.
We're 6 miles away from the dam. It's been a weird night. For some reasons a lot of house alarms have been going off.
I have friends and customers in Whaley Bridge,its a properly worrying situation for them. Some have businesses that they've taken years to build up.
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Just screen grabbed this from Facebook. What a pilot!
Good update from the actual scene via the people who know. (Derbyshire constabulary)
A further update has been issued this morning regarding the ongoing incident at Toddbrook Reservoir in Whaley Bridge.
Officers have been assisted overnight by a wide number of partner agencies including the fire service who have sent firefighters from across the country, the Environment Agency, the ambulance service, local councils and emergency planning staff.
We were also assisted overnight by RAF crews who used a Chinook helicopter to move more than 50 tonnes of aggregate into the reservoir wall to reinforce it.
This work was done in conjunction with expert structural engineers, who have been advising the emergency response since yesterday afternoon.
Throughout the day, work will continue to further shore up the reservoir wall. The Chinook will also be dropping aggregate into other parts of the reservoir today, to stem the flow of water going into it.
There are also a total of 16 high volume water pumps which have been installed in the reservoir, in order to reduce the water levels. These have been provided by fire services from across the country and the Canal and River Trust.
Assistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet, said: “Our message today remains the same as there is still a risk the dam will fail, please stay away from the area.
“If you are asked to leave, please heed emergency services and expert advice and do so. We understand that being asked to leave your home is an extremely difficult and worrying situation to find yourself in, however it is not a decision we have taken lightly and ultimately the safety of the public is our main concern.
“The evacuation point at Chapel High School, Long Lane, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, SK23 0TQ, will remain open today and residents will be accommodated if they are unable to make alternative arrangements.
“We have evacuated more than 1,000 people from the areas that would be immediately affected by floodwater should the wall fail.
“The majority have been able to find accommodation with family and friends. About 40 people have also been put up in a local hotel and they will be looked after today.
“We don’t know how long this operation will take to conclude but we and our colleagues in the emergency services, partner agencies, Environment Agency and military are doing everything humanly possible to save the reservoir wall and to protect the town.”
Let’s hope everything turns out ok like the previous scare of that dam wall (redmires?) in the Peak about 10 years ago
Of course, nothing can compare to the true horror of finding out that Edwina Currie has moved to your town.
Ulley, Houns.
👍🏻
Blimey, was 2007. Interesting read
Best wishes to all and stay safe from an ex New Mills and Furness resident. I understand Furness Vale was evacuated too.
I find it amazing that they can lower the volume using pumps. There must be some serious volumes being shifted.
@franksinatra if they have big 24" pumps there, they can move about 1.4 cumecs.
I find it amazing that they can lower the volume using pumps. There must be some serious volumes being shifted.
Yep. I guess you need a big pipe (or 16) and just enough oomph to prime the pipe to its high point and back down below the water level, then the siphon will do the rest
The Goyt's going to be rather full. I've seen a video from down near Roman Lakes and it's full to the brim already. Might take a look at the Goyt near me this weekend (I'm less than half a mile from it, but on the top of a hill).
@fossy: Goyt levels have dropped considerably from their high point on Tuesday. Which is good because it gives a bit more leeway for pumping a shitload of reservoir water into it.
A couple of my old oppos are involved in the RAF operation to help shore up the dam, one is on the Chinook and one is on the ground supporting them.
Aye, I rode over the Goyt at marple on the way home lasty night and again this morning on the way to work. last night I crossed at chadkirk where the river is already about 60 feet wide - it was up to about 80 feetwide, and a good two or three feet deeper than normal. there's normally an exposed weir there, it was completely submerged.
this morning I crossed at Brabyn's Park, river is much narrower there (it's just above the point where the etherow joins) and it as about 2 feet up on normal, width up from 20 feet to 25. You could see though from the vegetation it has been a good three or four feet higher in the past day
Some amazing shots of the Chinook in the press.
The scary thing for me was not the water over the top of the spillway, but there was a video showing water coming out of the area that has collapsed.
which says to me the breach was round the outside of the concrete structure or through the main dam bank.
wrightyson
Member
Just screen grabbed this from Facebook. What a pilot!
Posted 2 hours ago
I'm pleased to see they found some bigger sand bags.
Chinooks in action on Long Hill
Indeed, just seen an image from slightly above and to the side - of the Chinook dropping aggregate bags.
Penalty for failure: high!
see if link works -
I love Chinooks. What an incredible bit of kit.
Also, note to self - do not attempt to ride over Long Hill today.
Those vids of the chinook are amazing - that is some control of a beast like that! Very impressive
A couple of years ago I'd ridden the Whaley Bridge mtbike loop. After the ride I walked into the local Co-op to gorge on munchies. I reached for the only almond tart left at the bakery section at exactly the same time as Edwina Curry. She grabbed it, I was just a second too slow. I wanted to shout - 'Edwina you have absolutely no idea how hungry I am at this moment in time'. There won't be a next time, I'll wrestle her to the ground, wearing sheep poo smeared riding gear.
Fingers are crossed that there won't be any more rain for the next few days. Although some is forecast for Sunday.
Nice pic in the Grauniad...
One walked the dam area a good few times - and we used to raft on there with work groups.
Scary stuff.
Chinooks in action on Long Hill
I used to love Under Slung Load operations, except in the desert!
Apparently some residents are refusing to leave, prompting others to call them selfish because in the event it does go it puts emergency services at risk to rescue them.
Can't see why the emergency services wouldn't just leave them to make their own arrangements if the worst happened and they chose to stay.
Trying to get my head around this one...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-derbyshire-49196445 @1446
Couple go to Stockport for the day, but on return cannot go back home due to the dam. Later in evening, they are let through cordons to rescue their pets. They get their two dogs, but leave their rabbits behind without food.
How the heck does that happen?
How the heck does that happen?
Because panicky or stressed people being told to run in, run out.
Christ, they don't hang about. That's some impressive flying
Second picture down, beneath the "How Dangerous is it?" subtitle - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49201467 shows earth to the outside of the spillway wall to have been washed away as well. Possibly due to spillway water eventually undercutting the wall - no way of telling for sure.
One of the videos yesterday which I can't find now shows water at the top of the spillway jumping over the sidewall onto the earth embankment probably scouring the embankment from the top, not under the sidewall.
This channel has a load of information on water ways and how to design them.
Ah, OK. Not seen, or indeed looked for, many videos. Wikipedia states the reservoir is primarily a feeder for the canal so draining it for dam repairs isn't going to affect domestic water supply.
According to Sky News, Boris is now in Whaley Bridge. So if the dam is going to go, now would be a good time for it.
Edit: and on the BBC website, there's a local resident, presumably an expert in structural & civil engineering, watercourses and weather who's saying it's "health and safety gone mad" and he's not evacuating because "it won't break".
Part of me now wants his waterlogged body to be recovered from half way down the Mersey.
Can a civ eng tell us how likely ballast in shiny wet plastic bags is to slip when on the slopes of a dam compared to the same weight of unbagged ballast. It seems to me that the bags could act as a low friction plane.
If the aggregate wasn't bagged it would wash away. The weight of the bags and the way they interlock will be far in excess of the coefficient of friction so the bags ain't going anywhere soon.
That **** that said it's health and safety gone mad needs shooting as he clearly doesn't understand the risk not matter how small he faces. I agree that the emergency services shouldn't put themselves at risk to help people who won't help themselves however in the unlikely event of the dam breaching I suspect I'd try and help get folk out no matter how daft they've been.
They are trying to put some weight (400 tonnes) on the damaged side. If the water rises again (sunday is a risk) and it goes over the spillway again, then there will be a big problem.
Strictly speaking, it shouldn't go, but there could be weakness in the sub soil. All the spillway did was supposedly stop erosion - the amount of water going over just forced into gaps, shifted the panels and exposed the soil underneath, just like you do with sand castles when the tide comes in and build a dam.
You can't take the risk as it could potentially kill many folk in the village and smash half the town.
It's going to need draining, then the whole spillway replacing.
Jonwe. its better than doing nothing but probably only marginally. However none of the better options are available I would speculate. so should they carry on doing it for the moment until the folks working quietly in the background can get the water level down? Yes. It will have been cleared straight from no. 10.
Can a civ eng tell us how likely ballast in shiny wet plastic bags is to slip when on the slopes of a dam compared to the same weight of unbagged ballast. It seems to me that the bags could act as a low friction plane.
You know when the council / National Trust / Parks Authority resurface a bridleway by dumping tonnes of babyhead rocks all over it and two good storms later all those stones are at the bottom of the slope in a massive pile of rubble?
That's why it's bagged. 😉
For those oooing that dinky helicopter's agility, for something that weighs 22 tons the Chinook can be made to dance.
😉
11 tons U/L
11 tons max payload depending on varient , altitude etc
But this takes nothing away from the agility of the airframe. They are fitted with stress G monitors to ensure parameeters are not breached
some or all of the above may or may not be 100% accurate