Building houses on river floodplains is an abysmal mistake. I used to live in a place which was affected by severe flooding in 2000, leaving the floodplain under 4 feet of water. A new estate was promptly built there 3 years later. Major rivers on the continent, which can be up to a mile wide, have extensive floodplains, which are never built upon. Rivers like the Rhine can show a difference in levels of 8 metres / 27 feet through the year, and the volumes of water that come down from the Alps are not to be trifled with. It dwarfs what the rivers in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire have had to cope with. Twelve years ago, 250,000 people in the centre of Holland had to be evacuated when the Rhine threatened to overtop its banks. Now, areas beyond the floodplains are given back to the river to flood, to ameliorate the effects of high levels. Methinks lessons should be learned from the Dutch, who are masters in water management.
I do take the liberty of pointing to the floodbarriers at New Orleans, which merited the description of insufficient, only designed to withstand a category 3 or 4 hurricane. The images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 continue to haunt me, and I point-blank fail to understand why the Federal authorities in the States are not rushing to put something a heck of a lot more substantial in place. I am again pointing to Holland, which put a 30 year flood prevention scheme in place after 2,000 people died in a stormflood on 31 January 1953. To England, where the Thames barrier was erected in the 1980s to stop flooding of central London. To Venice, where a similar flood prevention scheme is in operation.
Climate change seems to be progressing inexorably, and massive rainfalls and high winds, the extremes of weather, seem to be making an appearance on the scene in the UK. I hope Mr Brown, as PM, will start to take that into account as well, when it comes to learning lessons from the flooding that is now wreaking havoc in eastern England.
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I do too Guido....I do too! But isn't that too obvious an answer?
ReplyDeleteDuh! To those who build yet again on flood plains. They might as well be ostriches! Jeanie
Me and My X husband were saying just that at the weekend, With housing shortages in the UK they are building property on areas that possibable floods can affect. Some very stupid people about that pass planning permission.
ReplyDeletelove and hugs
Katie
Some people never learn from the past Guido! Maybe if it was their homes that were flooded they'd stop building there or put up stronger defences but they normally live in places where they aren't in danger! Jeannette xx http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels/
ReplyDeleteI once lived in a flat by the River Severn in Worcester. Although it was high enough to avoid actually being flooded out, it did get cut off by the flooding.
ReplyDeletehttp://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard
I am still very worried over all the flooding...it still is making the news here in the US...and the building is a major issue. Major...I agree with you and the others...take care....may the end of the week...be much better.
ReplyDeleteJoyce