Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Re: Flooding in England  (Read 10157 times)

hmsantrim

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 733
  • Location: U K
Re: Flooding in England
« on: February 11, 2014, 04:41:46 pm »

 
see on the news to-day now that flooding has neared London Mr Cameron has called out the reserve forces for sand baging and pumping water and all the other poor beggars are left to get on with it.  Dont think they will be having a regatta at Henley this year as its all under water.  Guess they wont be voting conservative in the South of England next election after this mess gets cleared up.
 Think its gone from sur la mer to dans la merde
 Frank
 
 
Logged

Netleyned

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,051
  • Location: Meridian Line, Mouth of the Humber
    • cleethorpes mba
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2014, 04:57:50 pm »

Now that it's close to home and affecting the
mega rich in the Thames Valley the Gang
will have to do something.
The Somerset levels are not front page now
that the riverside swimming pools of the r&f in
the Thames are being filled with sewage.


Ned
Logged
Smooth seas never made skilful sailors
Up Spirits  Stand fast the Holy Ghost.
http://www.cleethorpesmba.co.uk/

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2014, 05:10:18 pm »

I have a friend with a house close to the Thames in Surrey which is at very high risk of flooding if it hasn't already, she is not mega rich. I also recall working as a volunteer helping to distribute blankets back in the 1970s when the area  flooded then. The people I came into contact with were not mega rich either. My parent's place was flooded out twice leaving a filthy mess and no, they weren't mega rich.

So I find this sort of sniggering at other people's misfortune rather pathetic. I was in Kingston yesterday and the amount of water coming town the Thames at fast running speed was pretty sobering. Being flooded is a frightening experience and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, or laugh about it either.

Colin
Logged

Netleyned

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,051
  • Location: Meridian Line, Mouth of the Humber
    • cleethorpes mba
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2014, 05:20:50 pm »

Not sniggering Colin.
Just commenting on the fact that a lot more
was being done for the Thames Valley
than the Somerset Levels who have had this since
Christmas.

Ned
Logged
Smooth seas never made skilful sailors
Up Spirits  Stand fast the Holy Ghost.
http://www.cleethorpesmba.co.uk/

hollowhornbear

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 104
  • Location: new haw, surrey
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2014, 05:39:10 pm »

I live in the thames valley and am far from rich in fact unemployed >>:-( I agree with Colin, also as far as the levels versus thames valley, I think population may have somrthing to do with it.
 2,180,200 thames valley bucks, berks and oxfordshire, not including surrey.
120,000 is what i can find for the levels.
http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/local-action-groups/somerset-levels-and-moors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Valley_Police
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2014, 06:02:17 pm »

Quote
2,180,200 thames valley bucks, berks and oxfordshire, not including surrey.
120,000 is what i can find for the levels.

Exactly! And I have read somewhere that there are around 600 or so people/homes in the most badly affected area of the Somerset Levels. The situation there is certainly awful but it would appear that even had the rivers been dredged as everyone is calling for it would still have been insufficient to cope with the volume of water that has fallen in the area.

The number of properties and people affected in the Thames Valley is many times greater and the clear up costs will be proportionately higher. With limited resources available they need to be applied to where they will do most good but in reality when you get rainfall on the scale we have had recently there is only so much you can do. If you keep the water out of one place it goes somewhere else, it's a force of nature.

Unfortunately the 'blame culture' seems to have taken hold, irresponsibly fanned by the popular press. A disaster has happened so somebody must be to blame! Short of blaming the Almighty, that is rubbish. When an area floods, the water comes up with frightening speed everywhere at once. You can sandbag your front door but it will come up under the floorboards or along internal walls. In most cases you simply cannot keep it out. All you can do is to move your valuables upstairs and stack as much furniture you can on your dining table etc. A bit unfortunate if you live in a bungalow!

People are saying 'something must be done' but just what do they expect apart from evacuating elderly people to a place of safety? The whole thing is on such a scale that you can only hope to mitigate the effects to a marginal extent such as managing the waterflow in the Thames with the Thames Barrier. (and maybe shooting the reported looters!)

So associating the relief activity in the Thames Basin with the need to protect rich Conservative voters is just a bit insensitive not to say totally inaccurate.

Colin
Logged

Netleyned

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,051
  • Location: Meridian Line, Mouth of the Humber
    • cleethorpes mba
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2014, 06:13:53 pm »

Who mentioned Conservative voters?

Ned
Logged
Smooth seas never made skilful sailors
Up Spirits  Stand fast the Holy Ghost.
http://www.cleethorpesmba.co.uk/

bikerdude999

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 514
  • Location: Corby, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2014, 06:21:32 pm »

Who mentioned Conservative voters?

Ned




 Guess they wont be voting conservative in the South of England next election after this mess gets cleared up.
 Frank
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2014, 06:50:55 pm »

Ned, I think your reference to 'The Gang' referred to David Cameron & Co and not to the Italian Mafia.

A lot of ordinary citizens are going through a very unpleasant experience and I'm not altogether sure that you quite grasp that.

Colin
Logged

Netleyned

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,051
  • Location: Meridian Line, Mouth of the Humber
    • cleethorpes mba
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2014, 06:59:48 pm »

Colin
In December we were told to leave our homes
when the North Sea surge and gales were to
flood our homes
Don't tell me I have no idea

Ned
Logged
Smooth seas never made skilful sailors
Up Spirits  Stand fast the Holy Ghost.
http://www.cleethorpesmba.co.uk/

raflaunches

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,681
  • The Penguins are coming!!!
  • Location: Back in the UK, Kettering, Northants
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2014, 07:03:58 pm »

Well I've just been put on emergency standby to assist with filling sandbanks and anything else that  the RAF can think of. We even had our PT session cancelled and ordered into our Camouflage kit in preparation just incase. Looking at the weather report I can understand why, RAF met reports and the BBC clearly show massive rain and snow showers expected tomorrow with gale force winds to mix in too!
So you might see me or my fellow techies up to our knees in water or snow clearing East Anglia don't forget to give us a wave!
Logged
Nick B

Help! The penguins have stolen my sanity, and my hot water bottle!

Illegitimi non carborundum!

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2014, 07:20:07 pm »

Quote
Colin
In December we were told to leave our homes
when the North Sea surge and gales were to
flood our homes
Don't tell me I have no idea

Ned

And did they?

Sorry, I don't want to get into an argument but I felt your original post was not what I would have expected from you.

Colin
Logged

Circlip

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,449
  • Location: North of Watford, South of Hadrians wall
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2014, 07:48:14 pm »

Strange how none of the media have done a follow up on the Dutch Engineer with heavy drainage gear brought over from the Netherlands last Friday to start operations in Somerset. Despite Mr Cameron stating that however much money is required, it will be found, won't be enough for some.
 
  Regards   Ian.
Logged
You might not like what I say, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
 
What I said is not what you  think you heard.

mikearace

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,381
  • Location: Yate
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #13 on: February 11, 2014, 08:14:45 pm »

As someone who was affected by the floods in Gloucestershire in 2007 I have no illusions about the political right or left.  The response then was as much as it is now which is too little too late.  Although Tone had resigned 4 weeks earlier he was still handing over to Gordon 'if you don't agree with me your a bigot' Brown and neither had any or little interest in Gloucester, with Gordon paying one visit and making the remarkable statement that 'he would ensure Gloucester had as much bottled water as it needed ..........'  And that was basically the total sum of the support.   If it had been Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath I suspect his response might have been slightly different.  Whether its the right or the left they are not the ones affected - its the poor souls flooded out and used as political points scoring pawns.  For 95% of politicians regardless of their party the only thing that motivates them is 'will I look bad in the press' or 'kerrrrrching'.

It will take some years to recover and others will never recover.  Not really a joking matter.   
Logged
Not just two wheels...........and never trust a hippie

Neil

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,334
  • Location: near Fleetwood
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #14 on: February 11, 2014, 08:38:40 pm »

Colin, you seem to live in a very tunnelled vision of a utopian world at times..................I don't think any of us don't have sympathy for those suffering, whether they be in Somerset, Cornwall/Devon, the Thames valley or in the outer Hebrides.............it's the totally unbalanced way in which this government has suddenly sprung into action when prime voters houses are now being inundated, and the main man stands up on tv and says money is no object.......had he said this when the environment agency had asked umpteen years ago to spend more money on dredging, flood release channels and other methods........we as citizens wouldn't be in the mess that this government has cause by reducing Environment agency funding...............and yet suddenly there the money is...........sorry Colin, but on this as with numerous other stands you make on here your vision is very blinkered indeed, and that is fact, not fiction.
neil.
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #15 on: February 11, 2014, 08:46:35 pm »

Neil,

You are clearly in the 'must blame someone' camp. I'm not blinkered, I spent over thirty years in local government and I know just how politicians react and I also know what the underlying realities are.

I'm not wasting any further time arguing. You once told me you could pick a fight in an empty room - too true!

Colin
Logged

warspite

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,757
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2014, 08:53:07 pm »

Gentlemen lets just agree to disagree - but agree on the shame it is that the plight of the suffers only now seems to be being dealt with  :police:
Logged
Operational - 1/72 LCMIII, 1/180 Sovereign, HMS Victory to be sailed
Non Operational - 1/72 Corvette, 1/72 E-Boat, 1/72 vosper mtb
incomplete, tug, cardboard castle class convert

bikerdude999

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 514
  • Location: Corby, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #17 on: February 11, 2014, 09:00:35 pm »

There's also the fact that this flooding is taking place on a 'flood plain', should give a hint really of what might happen.... can't control nature indefinitely. I'm sorry for all the people out there affected, but moaning that the government should've done more to stop flooding on a flood plain is a little silly....
Logged

grendel

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,948
  • Location: Canterbury, Kent, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2014, 09:23:17 pm »

having spent 3 hours getting home from work today because a 7 foot wide 50 foot deep hole appeared in the m2 today, I have to wonder if it was caused by the excess of water around.
Grendel
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2014, 09:23:38 pm »

Quote
There's also the fact that this flooding is taking place on a 'flood plain', should give a hint really of what might happen.... can't control nature indefinitely. I'm sorry for all the people out there affected, but moaning that the government should've done more to stop flooding on a flood plain is a little silly....

Quite right. The truth is that the Southern part of the country is in an exceptional and almost unprecedented situation and the powers that be have understandably been caught off balance. The usual reaction is to try to find somebody to blame when in fact to a large extent all you can do is to cope with it as best you can and clear up afterwards - just like all natural disasters really. There is never enough money to do everything and there never will be. You could pour millions of pounds into trying to prevent another flooding situation only to find that the next hazard is something completely different such as the 1987 storm that blows everything over instead, or we might have a big freeze. These things happen, fortunately less often in the UK than in other parts of the world but you just have to accept that they do happen and you do the best you can.

Colin
Logged

grendel

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,948
  • Location: Canterbury, Kent, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2014, 09:29:44 pm »

of course it the councils fault for allowing people to build on flood plains, not the developers or people wanting to build in a scenic location next to the river, oh no. I wouldnt buy a house on a flood plain and not expect occasional flooding in exceptional weather.
Grendel
Logged

wicker

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 372
  • Location: wick, caithness
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2014, 09:40:35 pm »

we had ditches which were 4 feet wide and 4 feet deep and our council have put in a 12 inch pipes so where does the excess water go--in to fields and around houses and have the clever folk trying to run the country realize the sea levels are rising over the last number of years
Logged

McGherkin

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 378
  • Location: Plymouth
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #22 on: February 11, 2014, 10:30:05 pm »

I don't see any point in battering on about the unfair financial bias towards the South East, we all know it happens and isn't anything new.

But it's rather entertaining to see HS2 going on whilst a large part of the country is completely cut off by rail for the next 6 weeks or so.

Oh, and I'm not going to talk about the lives put in danger because of finance because it will make me angry.
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #23 on: February 11, 2014, 10:35:49 pm »

Just been watching the news. There has been so much rainfall in the South that the water table is effectively above ground level in some places. The water is literally just coming out of the ground. Where I live the water table at the moment is just a few inches below ground level. Stick a spade into the lawn and the hole fills with water. It's going to be a while before that goes down. I have a water meter under a cover in my driveway. The meter is about 18 inches down and there is a polystyrene float which forces up the cover if the cavity fills with water, I have had to remove the float as water is forcing itself into the cavity due to the high water table. I hate to think what it is doing to the house foundations.

Colin
Logged

Colin Bishop

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12,171
  • Location: SW Surrey, UK
Re: Re: Flooding in England
« Reply #24 on: February 11, 2014, 10:38:13 pm »

Quote
I don't see any point in battering on about the unfair financial bias towards the South East, we all know it happens and isn't anything new.

In terms of general public expenditure the South subsidises the rest of the Country. Been like that for years.

Colin
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.1 seconds with 22 queries.