There are many things I am completely ignorant of, flooding ISN'T 1 of them, nearly loosing my life due to flooding some years ago and no I don't exaggerate. Tonight I watched the BBC news which heavily featured the flooding around Datchet (area I know well). The reporter was standing up to the top of his wellies in water doing his piece to camera with houses behind him, presumably the spot was picked by the BBC to give maximum impact to the viewers re the severity of the flood. There was also a feature about some man who was keeping a vigil over his house while his wife and child had departed to safer territory. Hmmmmm, guess what both the houses behind the reporter and the one being kept vigil over had in common? The houses still had electricity OOOOONNNNN. I can 100% guarantee that unless you are a complete moron, the very 1st thing you do in the likelihood of being flooded is switch the electrical supply off so I can only surmise that the likelihood of these house actually being flooded internally is negligible and as so often it is a situation of sensationalism. If the folks around Datchet or any other area are actually experiencing full blown flooding and all the misery that this entails then they have my full sympathy, I am just extremely suspicious that some of what is being televised is being over exaggerated to make a better story/political.
Sorry don't know about Datchet but there is a lot of flooding around us here in Guildford silu. I think the problem is is much worse than in previous years and is now hitting areas that haven't experienced it before. In Guildford centre the businesses near the river have over the years been flooded again and again. Most of them now have good barricades and have continued to trade, one pub next to the river was properly flooded this time and yet was back in business a few days later. However a nearby pub that must be 10 foot higher only had a little flooding, maybe a few inches and it's ruined them. The lower down pub near the river is all wooden floorboards and un-plastered brick walls, it's relatively easy to hose and dry out after a flood. Whereas the unprepared one had carpets and plaster on the walls, it's all got to come off and it's going to take them months. Some friends further down the river at Byfleet regularly get flooded, the Env Agency sacrifice that village if Guildford looks as though it's about to flood. Back in 2003, during the last floods, they had to move out when their street was awash and now they are being flooded again. They are sort of used to it, so to them it's just a horrible fact of living where they are. The trouble now because the water levels are at record highs is a lot of new folk are being affected who have never dreamed of being hit. I feel sorry for them and if I was in their shoes I'd make a big fuss too.
If you have a look on the Church by the town bridge @JWK there's a plaque recording the level of the 1968 floods
We never turned our elec off when we we're flooded back in 2007, it never rose above our floorboards. Maybe its the same case?
Quite considerably higher than what is happening atm I guess?! JWK came up with some interesting stuff. It is very true that you can, up to a point considerably reduce flood damage by altering the construction of you property. We were offered the choice by our insurance company to not replace the wooden flooring but lay a thick concrete base and then tile on top plus moving plug points higher etc etc so if we flooded again there wouldn't be so much damage.
Here's the photos I took at the Church Zigs when it flooded at Christmas, I missed the peak, apparently it did get up to those sandbags, but still considerably lower than 1968.
Well, its nowhere near as bad as Somerset around me just yet, but the Thames is quite a way over its banks: These were taken this afternoon in Lower Sunbury - - a bit further along the road, it was on the brink of going over the road. Here is a StreetView link to show what it usually looks like. If you spin the view round, just behind the blue taxi you will see a plaque which shows the flood level from a flood in 1829 - - - so its a long way behind that!
That's a thought altho I didn't hear any noise which would suggest that there were numerous generators working. From what I heard tonight on the TV it sounds as tho many poor souls will have to endure flooding for some considerable time due to the height of the water table.
They are attachments in the "Lets Flood Again" thread, I can see them but maybe no-one else can?. I've re-uploaded them and re-attached them to this thread, can you see them now @Zigs ?
Good point Sheal, I know we shouldn't speculate but that tragic case of the little boy dying was initially put down to fumes from a generator used to power a pump.
If using generators, they would also need lighting necklaces I do not think that many houses would all have a generator, for the once in a hundred years flood They could not connect the generator to the house mains circuit Anyone walking around in water with house mains still plugged in is pure crazy Jack McH
It might seem surprising but I know a few people with generators down here, not for floods but for the constant power cuts. Some families were without power for days after the gales at Christmas time. We here in Guildford are lucky, hardly ever get any power cuts but some more rural spots are prone. Cheap generators start at £100 so I reckon a few people rushed out and bought them just in case.
