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Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3551

Sorry to hear about all the flooding, and I hope everyone is okay.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:56 pm

Yeah, hopefully Kath and Kim makes up for it Very Happy

Hopefully the Rescue/Emergency services can handle it..

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:59 pm

It's still a bit grim in certain areas Pachanga. They reckon it'll take a month for the water level to go down in some places hit by the flooding.

Last Friday I made a coach journey back home, after a short trip away and missed the rain by an hour. Those that traveled the same route later than me had an all night stay in their vehicles. Shocked

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:24 pm

you should ask tommo shanter as hull was the first part of the country
to be hit but as ever the south gets the most of the publicity and support.

most of the lower regions of the country which have major rivers are either
underwater or will be very soon.

billions of �'s were invested over 4 years ago into the environment agency who's job it was to provide a flood defence system in areas of concern.

as we can now see it money well spent.my thoughts are with the over stretch
emergency services who are finding it hard to cope.

off to my build my ark

Wink

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:30 pm

I'm in the midlands and there's more water then land visable at the moment

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:57 pm

Northern Europe is flooded and Southern Europe is burned to a crisp... wicked weather Sad

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:19 pm

Quite frankly I'm annoyed.

My area of the country suffered this deluge well over two weeks ago and it took a week before the press/media/politicians reacted to the crisis. And that includes the ex-deputy Prime Minister who is MP for part of near where I live. I don't want to stir political waters here, so I will say no more about that very large waste of space. Luckily,where I am was relatively unaffected.

I just find it breathtaking that this government still insists on its policy to continue to build houses on flood plains. Let the buyer beware.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:28 pm

I'm pleased to announce that I live in the second highest house in my area so the flood water has to get up to about 120 feet before I get worried.

Next is the turn of the Thames Valley as the waters move down river, Reading, Twyford etc.

I jut hope that it doesn't get any worse, one forecaster is saying that this week will see even more very heavy rain....

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:08 pm

Have just mentioned on the news that Tewkesbury, already under water, will be getting more floods, as more water flows down the severn and avon rivers, from the hills over a wide area, they meet at Tewkesbury.

The budget had been cut for flood defences, by the last Chancellor, i wonder what happened to him!!!!

We are lucky so far as we live in Suffolk and on top of a hill.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:14 pm

The worst thing that's happened here is that the road to get out of the village got flooded from rainwater running down the mountains, along with rocks and stuff that were washed down. It made driving along it difficult but not impossible. Today we had a JCB clearing it away. Part of the road has been washed away, but it's nothing they can't fix in a day or so. Then again, part of the road gets washed away every time we get bad rain here Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:15 pm

I tried to get home from a visit with my father the other night and had to detour round most of the home counties. It took me ages to find the new routes through that weren't flooded 6 feet deep. On the up side, I know a whole bunch of back roads I didnt know before. Both of our houses are up on hills, it's the dip in between that's causing the problems. I actually saw a fire engine the other night with a coastguard dingy tied on the back and we're as far from the sea as it gets!

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:44 pm

Tommo Shanter wrote:

I just find it breathtaking that this government still insists on its policy to continue to build houses on flood plains.

There is a simple defensive strategy for new builds in such areas - raise the ground floor N feet above ground level. Incorporating guidelines like this into planning permission is now standard practice in coastal areas prone to flooding, e.g. Norfolk.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:19 pm

Thank you for asking, Pachanga. Very Happy

In my part of the UK, we have escaped relatively unscathed, but others have been massively less fortunate, with people being washed away, airlifted from homes, and trapped in cars for 15 hours straight. The saddest story for me, though, was the one of Michael Barnett who died in the floods at the end of June, despite valiant efforts to free him. The story is here. I cannot imagine anything worse for the poor man and his family or for the rescue services. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:28 pm

I still dont understand why they couldnt release him. What happened to underwater cutting equipment not to mention the really big cutters the fire brigade use to take the roof off cars. He had air, he had divers keeping him company...I just dont get why they couldnt get him out. Take the drain cover off if you have to...hell, take his foot off if you have to. I still dont get it and neither do his family probably. A sad case indeed.

The flooding is getting worse around my area and it looks like a field trip to Banbury tomorrow is off. I just cant guarantee we can make it through the flooded back roads. Most of the problem is due to them shutting the flood gates to protect the fields.

On a lighter note, my brother in law (caretaker at a primary school) has been told that sandbags have been allocated for the school in question. The prole at the local council obviously doesnt know where the school is or he would have realised that for the school to be threatened, half of Bucks would be about 20 feet under water. Its not called P****hill Primary for nothing.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:31 pm

Wow that's pretty crazy flooding, especially on top of what was supposedly the UK wettest June in 50 odd years. We've had some record breaking floods here in New Zealand too.

I blame Rhianna.... http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=104&objectid=10452521

Not quite a Newb Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 32

I'm lucky enough that my area hasn't had any serious flooding at all - I'm on the south coast, that's about all I'm saying. Smile

Tho I have discovered one of my cars has a leak in its sunroof tray... and what with all the recent rain, my three-day valet of that car seems somewhat pointless!

I'll be driving to Devon on Sunday for a classic car show, so fingers crossed the weather holds up for that!

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:45 am

I assume London is OK. My family lives in SW5, near Earl's Court. Best wishes to all of you.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:08 am

Eight wrote:

The saddest story for me, though, was the one of Michael Barnett who died in the floods at the end of June, despite valiant efforts to free him. Crying or Very sad

A friend of mine was one of the reserve firefighters that battled in vain to try and save the poor man. He was absolutely gutted and for obvious reasons didn't want to talk about it when we were discussing it, and the flooding, in the pub a couple of days later.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:22 am

Floods like this aren't unheard of in the UK, but they usually happen in Jan/Feb, not the middle of summer! I used to live in the Thames Valley (Marlow) which I am sure will be under water within the next day or so. We lived on a hill but there are plenty of houses built on the flood plain Crying or Very sad

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:06 am

the flood waters have been real bad by me and all the shipping companies cannot get within miles of me.i have just put my delivery of the new puppies
on hold.

Quote:

paul

sorry for the delay as we have been hit by a rather large flood as you
well
know from the news.
our house in now 6 feet under with water and i am now taking refuge in
our local public house.

you will have to wait a few days now as we wait for the flood waters to
die down and we can get the house back to normal and all power back on.
you just cant imagine how devastated we are by this act of god.

please please please wait a few days so we can make the final
arrangements for delivery.

thanks

just cant believe my luck on how understanding my lad is

Quote:

Ohh,am so sorry for what have happen i heard from the pm new and i didnt know it was gonna affect you.hope you are okay.
i will wait,and please get back to me as soon your house is in other
Regards
Paul

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:54 am

I was supposed to do a job in Oxford yesterday. We rang them in the morning to find there was 1 road still open, and the water was still rising. Suffice to say, we didn't go (thankfully!).

Hope no-one here's been too bandly effected.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

@remmy223, I do hope your next few emails will show that you are taking advantage of the hospitality, after all there is a shortage of drinking water.

No problems here, our head office is in the affected area but I think it's high enough not to be in danger, and we're well out of the way.

To everyone in the path of the flood, hang in there and remember it's an exciting adventure, not a nightmare.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:34 pm

My mum is in Gloucestershire. Luckily she's way up on top of a hill so no chance of the flood waters from the Severn river reaching her. She has no water and the power station was going to be shut down last night but I think they've managed to save it.
One of the worst stories I've read was a young lady in Tewkesbury gave birth prematurely to twins right before the RAF helicopter came to take her to safety. Apparently both of the twins died a few hours later. How absolutely awful for that family...I'll be lighting a candle and saying a few words to the man upstairs tonight...

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:54 pm

Will someone please let Eliza_Doolittle know that we are checking in when we can, and not to worry too much because the police and military authorities are working round the clock to ensure that we get to safety.

BTW, we are getting supplies of bottled water to keep us going.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:04 pm

I guess any members flooded out wont be posting, as you have to turn the electric off.

Glad you're OK, Breddan.

I did pull a face when people were on the radio, complaining about a few litres of drinking water a day, and saying they couldn't flush the loo. Half the world never have fresh clean water, and a loo will flush quite happily on flood water, which there seems to be a lot of.