cool_hand Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26111598 Fourteen severe flood warnings have been issued along the River Thames in Berkshire and Surrey amid concern that people and property are at risk. The Environment Agency is also warning of rising water in the Somerset Levels, and there are flood fears in Worcester. Earlier, the communities secretary said ministers may have relied too much on the agency's advice and it had been a "mistake" not to dredge the Levels. But the agency said its "immediate priority" was to protect people. Two severe flood warnings remain in place in Somerset and more rain is expected later in the week. The prime minister, who chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee, said: "As we continue to face these extraordinary weather events, I have made clear again... that every resource is available to the local communities affected. "We will keep providing whatever immediate practical support and assistance is needed, whether that is extra pumps and sandbags; military support on the ground; emergency funds from the new £7m severe weather assistance fund for local councils." Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who is in charge of the government's flood defence, said the government had relied too much on the Environment Agency's advice and the flood-hit Somerset Levels should have been dredged. "I apologise unreservedly and I'm really sorry that we took the advice, we thought we were dealing with experts." But as the agency increased the number of severe warnings from two to 16, it said it was putting all its energy and focus into protecting people and property until the danger has passed. It said the 14 severe "risk to life" warnings along the Thames in Berkshire and Surrey between Datchet and Shepperton Green were issued because river levels would continue to rise for at least 24 hours and homes were expected to flood. It also has more than 150 lesser flood warnings, the majority in the South East, the East, the Midlands and South West. BBC News correspondent Ben Ando in Datchet said the Thames appeared to be rising and its levels were already higher than in 2003 when the area last experienced flooding. Armed forces are in the area building a 2ft-high (60cm) defence to try to divert the river away from homes. Tina McFarlane, 70, from the Buckinghamshire town of Marlow, which borders the Thames, said she was confined to the upstairs of her house and was without electricity. "I can't get out of the house as the water is too deep for my waders, and it's getting dangerous," she told the BBC. "It's not only the Somerset Levels that are suffering. We're feeling very isolated, no one is giving us any information." Surrey Police says up to 2,500 properties in the county may be at risk and is urging residents to co-operate with the emergency services and take precautions to protect themselves and their properties. Flooding at Hinksey, south of Oxford, has led Network Rail to warn of possible disruption for commuters travelling to London Paddington on Monday. Robin Gisby from Network Rail said: "We will be running a very limited service between Oxford and Didcot. It should be open... but it will be limited. Passengers should check all the websites to see what journeys can be made". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zugzwang Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Excellent news. And a fresh convoy of storms on its way across the Atlantic to sink the Potemkin! Perhaps they can deploy Fatty Pickles as a barage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XswampyX Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 It's their own fault..... Lets not change anything for like 60 years, and hold up and worship, decay and overgrowth as natures beauty as we all drown in the beautiful landscape. It's like holding up a mirror to the state of the housing in the UK. It will look beautiful, until there are a flood of riots in the streets. Then it will be "We never saw it coming!" It's a godsend for GDP anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheBlueCat Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 It's their own fault..... Lets not change anything for like 60 years, and hold up and worship, decay and overgrowth as natures beauty as we all drown in the beautiful landscape. It's like holding up a mirror to the state of the housing in the UK. It will look beautiful, until there are a flood of riots in the streets. Then it will be "We never saw it coming!" It's a godsend for GDP anyway. Who's fault exactly? Either way, it's total BS. There's large parts of Holland that are 7M below sea level and they somehow cope. It's a question of priorities and the political motives of the people running quangos like the EA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitevanman Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 The Thames was very high in Sunbury today. Lots of houses are right on the river and looked to be inches from the water if not flooded. I did see a car with water up to its windows as well. I know it's not much fun if you're caught in it but I love a good flood I do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XswampyX Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Nobody cares till after the event. I'm not pointing fingers, but if you want to live in the 1950's then this is what you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Who's fault exactly? Either way, it's total BS. There's large parts of Holland that are 7M below sea level and they somehow cope. It's a question of priorities and the political motives of the people running quangos like the EA. I just learnt a lesson - don't type 'dutch dykes' into Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I remember the poor old city of Carlisle being totally flooded out a few years ago and it barely got a mention in the southern obsessed media. I've not yet seen anywhere as bad yet. It was literally cut off for weeks. And that was a CITY - not a few isolated farmsteads sat on a flood plain! Can you imagine Sky News this week when the Thames floods. Might see Kay Burley disappearing over Teddington Lock in non-stop 'The Nation Sinks!' bulletins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I remember the poor old city of Carlisle being totally flooded out a few years ago and it barely got a mention in the southern obsessed media. I've not yet seen anywhere as bad yet. It was literally cut off for weeks. And that was a CITY - not a few isolated farmsteads sat on a flood plain! If it's not London and the Home Counties (Whose home counties?) it does not happen, except for the West Country where all the Londoners second homes are. Quite why Cameron is so opposed to Scottish independence I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I thought about buying a house in hammersmith in 2002, I decided against it when I realised it could quite easily end up under 3 foot of water. I'd have made a fortune on my house price though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quicken Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I remember the poor old city of Carlisle being totally flooded out a few years ago and it barely got a mention in the southern obsessed media. I've not yet seen anywhere as bad yet. It was literally cut off for weeks. And that was a CITY - not a few isolated farmsteads sat on a flood plain! This. The hysteria over the levels is ridiculous. I think they said on the beeb just now that only 16 properties have flooded. Pickles is a complete idiot. EA priorities are human life, then property by value. Each pound spent needs to result in at least 8 pounds worth of benefit. Farmland should and will lose on that formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26111598 [sNIP] Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who is in charge of the government's flood defence, said the government had relied too much on the Environment Agency's advice and the flood-hit Somerset Levels should have been dredged. "I apologise unreservedly and I'm really sorry that we took the advice, we thought we were dealing with experts." [sNIP] Sickening Well Eric, you know what 'thought' did eh ?. He always thought, he never knew. So the scene is being set for sloping shoulders, the 'crisis' is becoming a 'crisis' and the Government don't want the blame. I don't work for the EA btw. But this frequent blaming of advisors when Governments infact gives them a rock and a hard place to advise between, gets my goat. But that is what the advisory panels are set up for - so there is someone else to blame when the shtf Edited February 10, 2014 by LiveinHope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zugzwang Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I thought about buying a house in hammersmith in 2002, I decided against it when I realised it could quite easily end up under 3 foot of water. I'd have made a fortune on my house price though.... Only if you'd sold up and moved to Middlesborough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) I remember the poor old city of Carlisle being totally flooded out a few years ago and it barely got a mention in the southern obsessed media. I've not yet seen anywhere as bad yet. It was literally cut off for weeks. And that was a CITY - not a few isolated farmsteads sat on a flood plain! 2700 house werre flooded in Carlisle during that inundation which is more than 27 times as many as have been flooded in the Somerset levels recently. Edited February 10, 2014 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Should have rented. Edited February 10, 2014 by TheCountOfNowhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Think I might go fishing in Trafalgar Square at the weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Think I might go fishing in Trafalgar Square at the weekend What in your houseboat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patfig Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 What in your houseboat. Yeah see if I can catch a kipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Just supposing.....that the whole in inner london flooded, i.e. anything central around the river. What do yuo think would happen ? massive spending dykes ? massive building of a new city ? The tenants of Buckingham palace relocating ? House prices being washed down the pan ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quicken Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 2700 house werre flooded in Carlisle during that inundation which is more than 27 times as many as have been flooded in the Somerset levels recently. beeb How many homes have actually flooded?Somerset County Council says about 150 properties, in the villages of North Moor, Salt Moor, Fordgate and Moorland, are affected by the current crisis. The Environment Agency says up to 40 homes have actually flooded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 beeb It's strange how the flooding has got critical now that it's the Thames area, or is that my imagination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Some great pics of Worcester. They've had the army there in the past helping people over the river. At the weekend they just shut the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zugzwang Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Some great pics of Worcester. They've had the army there in the past helping people over the river. At the weekend they just shut the bridge. iirc there was a little old fella who'd take you across in a row boat near the Cathedral if you didn't fancy walking all the way to the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Just supposing.....that the whole in inner london flooded, i.e. anything central around the river. What do yuo think would happen ? massive spending dykes ? massive building of a new city ? The tenants of Buckingham palace relocating ? House prices being washed down the pan ? Not unsurprisingly the Banker City State, has a rather big barrage, making that unlikely Edited February 10, 2014 by aSecureTenant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Why don't they just open the Thames barrier and let it all out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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